


Camp Kyojin

by SquaryQ



Series: Camp Kyojin(s) [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 3 hanjis - hange zoey and hanji, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Camp, Cancer, Drama, Drunken Shenanigans, F/F, F/M, M/M, Marco has a sister, Marco is dying, Meds, Mental Instability, Original Character(s), Original Female Characters - Freeform, POV Original Character, Practical Jokes, Prank War, Pranks, Roommates, Summer Camp, abridged references, annie is a superfangirl, annie ships reibert, annual prank war, camp for troubled kids, drunken, gangs and shit, levi has a gang, lowkey ymir x krista, marco has cancer, marco is terminally ill, trigger warning - episodes, when you love hanji so much you made 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 02:36:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6355471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SquaryQ/pseuds/SquaryQ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Camp Kyojin is a summer camp designed for the special people. The kids that bottle things up. It's a place where the awkward can be awkward together. It's a place where friendships are made. </p><p>Camp Kyojin prides itself on its methods of team building and anger management. Good thing too since arguments always break out.</p><p>Jonesy has never been away at camp before but after her mum let her dad keep her at his home and vanished out of her life because of something she can do; getting her away from home was seen to be a good thing. Jonesy has problems. Everybody at that camp does. But when one has issues a bad as these, friendship will be hard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. So Many Blondes

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this is an old work - it's first person and an OC insert, I wouldn't post it here if I wasn't scheming, so expect a LOT of SnK Summer Camp scenarios soon enough!  
> Apologies that this story isn't the greatest, it's kinda old ^w^  
> #stoleitfrommywattpadaccount

I walk toward the main office, dragging my bags along the dirt path. This stuff is so HEAVY! I hope my cabin is close by. I see a few log rooms as I wonder though the drit path. Lots of people are already here. Looks like a boat load have just arrived! Ugh and to think my dad drove me when I could have already met people.

"Hey there!" a preppy ginger woman with hazel eyes smiles at me. She's about half a head taler than me if that.

"Err, hi." I nod.

"Here let me get you a hand. Hey! Gunther! Bring the trolley'round."

"Aye aye Petra!" a taller guy with dark hair grins with a thumbs up. He goes into one of the log cabins an produces a trolley like you would have in a hotel.

"Have you signed in yet?" the guy, Gunther asks. I shake my head.

"I would sign in ASAP or you'll get stuck in one of the uni cabins" The girl Gunther called Petra smiles.

"But that queue is so long!" I whine, plodding toward the line.

"AND THEN I knocked that shit down!" a buff blond enthuses, beside him is a lanky brunet.

"Reiner I was there." the brunet speaks up.

"Well then you know Berthl'! I knocked that shit down!" the blond enthuses.

"Yes Reiner, I know." the brunet sighs. The two grab their bags from a colossal pile and head into the forest.

"Next." a blond man beckons a white blonde girl forward.

"Annie." she points to the sheet.

"Welcome to camp Kyojin Miss Leonhardt." the blond man waves happily. "Next."

Another blond.

"Krista Lenz." She introduces.

"W-wow. WelcometocampKyojinMissLenz." the blond man at the front. I peek to see how many more people. Oh god! Another blonde!

"I'm Thomas Wagner!" the blond introduces.

"Welcome to camp Kyojin Mr Wagner."

How many goddamn blonde's are at this camp!

"I'm Armin." the fith blond says.

"Welcome to camp Kyojin Mr Artlet." the instructor waves.

I move with the queue. I've been waiting for ages! Was I the last one here?

"You must be Miss Jones." I nod and smile at the blond man. Oh my GOD! His eyebrows! They're huge! Look away! LOOK AWAY!

"Welcome to camp Kyojin Miss Jones. You will be joining several of the other camp members in the uni cabin." I am told. The tall well built blond man stands up pointinng at a map. There on the map is a slightly more isolated cabin with both the sign for male and the sign for female.

"Wait. WHAT?" I ask.

"You will be in the uni room. Excuse me. Mike!" the man walks off. I pout. That cabin looks so far away.

The ginger woman, Petra is talking to Gunther. I thank them for letting me borrow the trolley thing and make my way through the camp toward my wooden cabin.

"Ymir! Oh my gosh! It's been too long!"

I continue to walk.

"You name is Jean?" a merry optimistic voice chimes. "Is that French? It's French isn't it!"

"Yeah, it's French." the dude with a French name sounds really flustered.

Tap tap tapatap tap tap tap. Taptaptaptap taptaptap.

"I've got my ticket for the long way 'round." one girl warbles as somebody plays the annoying cup song on a wooden step.

I sigh, continuing to make my way toward the door. This seems to be the cabin.

I knock.

A girl answers the door.

"Oh thank GOD!" I sigh,

"I think you've got the wrong room." she says bluntly

"Huh? Why?" I ask.

"This room's full." she rolls her eyes.

"Oh, right. Sorry. I thought this was the unisex room." I murmur, avoiding her stare.

"Oh it is." the blond boy, Armin from registration comes to the door. "Mikasa! You ought to be more helpful!"

"Why?" she shrugs.

"Because err..." Armin glances at me.

"Most people call me Jonesy." I smile, meeting his large blue eyes. He looks relly sweet and innocent.

"Because Jonesy hadn't done anything wrong." the blonde protests.

"Sorry to interrupt." I murmur. "But do you know where the other unisex room is?" I ask.

"Oh! Sorry! How stupid of me, I'm really bad with directions but I know where to go. I'll show you. Hey Eren! Mikasa! I'm going to the other unisex room. You coming?"

"YES!" Eren enthuses, running to the doorway. The brunet with sea green eyes is wearing a green shirt and jeans. He heads out.

"I'm Eren Jager!" he introduces.

"Hi." I smile. "Jonesy."

"That's your name?" he blinks several times.

"Nah, most people call me Jonesy." I shrug, pushing the trolley.

We make it up a small yet steep hill. We've idlely chatted but I'm not sure if the black haired girl, Mikasa wants them to be my friends.

"Tada!" Armin happilypoints to a cabin.

"Thank you guys." I smile, heading to the door and knocking.

Another girl! Phew! Looks like I won't be rooming with two boys!

"Oi Connie, look our roomie's here!" the brunette enthuses.

"Hey! I'm Connie Springer!" a short guy with gold eyes and a buzz cut greets.

"Hi. I'm Jonesy." I greet.

"Jonesy is NOT your name." the burnette sniggers. "But it's not mine either. I'm Sasha Braus!"

"Fine." I giggle. "You want my name. I'm Connie. Connie Jones."

"TWIN OF NAME! TWIN OF NAME! TWIN OF NAME!" the boy with a buzz cut enthuses jumping up and down taking my hands and making me bounce up and down in circles with him.

"Oh god this summer's going to be weird." I stagger, falling backwards; landing on my butt.


	2. This Is Embarrassing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, so here come the introductions! Time to meet everybody ^^

I make my way into the mess hall. I’m already worn out and all I did was follow my ‘twin of name’ and Sasha to get some food. Too bad I lost them in the wave of hungry teenagers. The only things that anybody got to eat apparently were the snacks that remained from the trip to Camp Kyojin.

I get some cereal, bread and a muffin. There is nowhere to sit! Connie and Sasha have sat with some other people, a brunette and the girl who introduced herself as Krista Lenz. Damn it! I have nowhere to sit! There’s only like one vacant seat that isn’t at the councillors’ table. I pout, taking a deep breath and approaching the table.

“Mind if I sit here?” I ask the three boys. One is pretty cautious and shaky, he’s in a shirt and tracksuit bottoms. The second looks almost uncomfortable, being sat here; he’s dressed in something a tad more sophisticated. A fairly pricy designer shirt and jeans. Nonetheless, his muffin top mike hairstyle makes him look ridiculous. The third boy has a kind face. He looks as if he’s happy here. His outfit looks campy; he seems to be more aware of what will be done here than the richer looking one.

“Nope.” The one who is clearly older says. He takes a spoonful of cereal in his shaky hand and brings it to his lips.

“Feel free.” I recognise that voice. Didn’t I hear him yesterday?

“Thank you.” I smile, taking a seat.

“I’m guessing it’s your first year here.” The shaky older guy remarks.

“How can you tell?” I cock a brow.

“You weren’t here on time. Indecisiveness is not a good thing, especially since the tables segregate the campers and the councillors.” He shrugs, putting more cereal in his mouth.

“Oh.” I say and take a bite out of my muffin.

“What’s your name?” the third guy at the table asks.

“C-nom-ie J-nom-on-nom-es.” I reply between bites.

“Cnomie.” The guy scoffs.

I swallow. “Connie.” I correct.

“That’s a nice name.” the kinder faced guy with a freckled face smiles.

“Thanks.” I duck my head and continue to eat.

“I’m D-daz.” The shaky guy says, his spoon clattering against the bowl. I wave, since my mouth is full.

“I’m Marco and that’s Jean.” The one with the freckles introduces. Upon swallowing I smile.

“Have you guys been here before?” I ask.

“I have. I’ve been going here for two years but I always ask for new roommates. Daz was my roommate last year. Daz and Riko- we were in the unisex room. Riko hated it.” Marco says with a soft smile.

“Oh.” I tilt my head. “Jean?”

“I haven’t been here before.” He states.

“You and me both then… Yay new experiences.” I roll my eyes, being sarcastic.

“You’ve got that right.” Jean nods, eating some bread.

“Didn’t you want to come here?” Marco asks.

“This place was pretty much forced upon me.” I shrug, hair falling over my eyes.

“It was f-forced on us-s all at one t-t-time.” Daz assures as well as he can. Does he have a stutter?

“Everybody here has something up with them that made a guidance councillor recommend it to us.” Marco sooths. “Originally, most people don’t want to be here.”

“Really? You look comfortable.” I muse, standing to put the wrapper for my muffin in the bin and get a glass of water. Raisins in muffins. I fight a grimace; we are having a serious conversation right now. Why do people put raisins in things? Is it to enforce trust issues? It’s not fun!

“This is my third year here. You’ll get used to the feel of this place and most of us come back.” Marco explains between bites of his toast.

“Really?” Jean scoffs. “I don’t even get why everybody is so hell-bent on me coming here. If it were up to me I would be at a camp that will actually help me. This isn’t helping me learn how to tackle higher education or finance or business or handle economics. Thus this is a useless camp. Like hell I’ll come back.”

“That’s a bit harsh.” I mutter.

“Okay you bunch of poop nobblers. Now I don’t want no screwin’ around. Hurry up and get out so we can talk about what we’re going to do today!” A bald guy with a beard and a really REALLY scary expression on his face shouts. With that, Daz and Marco put their spoons down and stand. Jean and I each cock a brow.

“What are you doing?” I whisper. I see that my roommates; too are stood up. I stand, as does Jean.

“T-time for the i-ice b-b-breaker.” Daz says as he and Marco leave the table. I try to catch up so that I can work out what on earth is going on.

“Sit in a circle meat tossers.” The councillor commands. I follow the lead of Daz and Marco, and plant my butt on the floor. Not comfy. It takes a while but eventually, everybody is sat together, in a huge circle. There aren’t as many people here as I thought, sixty maybe? Not including the councillors. That really isn’t bad; I should hopefully get names together easily. Hopefully.

“What’s your name Arayan coconut?” the councillor asks Armin.

“Armin, sir.”

“And your problem is?” he queries. My eyes widen.

“I have no self-confidence, sir!” Armin declares, eyes tightly shut.

“You?” he councillor moves on to Mikasa.

“Mikasa, sir. I am overprotective.”

“Eren Jager, sir! I have issues with anger!”

“Thomas Wagner, sir. I cannot speak for myself.”

“Mina Carolina, sir. I can’t go my own way.”

“Krista Lenz, sir. I care too much.” Krista hangs her head.

“Ymir. I keep to myself.” The brunette from Krista’s breakfast table introduces herself.

“Nack, sir. I’m paranoid.”

“Sasha, sir! I love food too much!”

“Connie Springer, sir! I’m too immature!”

“Oh god, this is awful.” I mutter. Jean nods.

“Annie. I don’t show emotion.” That blonde girl from yesterday says.

“Bertholdt, sir. I cannot speak for myself.”

“Reiner, sir. I am too helpful.”

Those are the two from registration. The blond, Reiner tore some shit down or something. Oh god, it’s almost my turn.

“Hannes, sir. I have no strength.” An older blond guy says.

“Riko, sir…people say I’m sexist. I say I’m aware of the way this world works.” A white haired bespectacled woman rolls her eyes. Riko, she is the one who Marco said he had roomed with last year.

“Hannah, sir! I’m too stubborn.” A redheaded girl says. Oh God, it really is close to my turn now.

“Franz, sir. I am too selfless.” The tan guy beside Hannah says. Three people left; Daz, Marco and Jean.

“D-daz, sir. I, I, I… I’m a coward.” He hangs his head. Marco puts his hand on Daz’s back.

“Marco Bodt, sir. I hate people getting close to me.” The freckled faced guy says. He really doesn’t strike me as the anti-social type though.

“What about you, muffin top?” the councillor asks Jean. Jean blinks several times before realising that he was the one being spoken to.

“I’m Jean, sir. I love a challenge.” I shift away from him. If he’s implying that he likes to go after the people who play hard to get then… I shift again.

His eyes are on me now, the councillor’s eyes. I feel small and exposed. I am wearing clothes, right? I am sat on the ground in jeans and a t-shirt, right? I’m not showing my campmates my skin, am I?

“What about you girly?” I am asked. Lie. Lie. Lie. It’s too embarrassing. Lie! Lie, Jonesy, LIE!

“I’m Jonesy…I don’t know why I’m here.” I admit with a small smile, eyes closed.

I wait for a response.


	3. More Intros & Mentions Of A Prank War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ TO AVOID CONFUSION:
> 
> Okay guys, in this piece I have three variations of one character. One of my favourite characters ever so I guess it was clear that that was going to happen:
> 
> Hanji Zoe is the character in question. 
> 
> Hange is the male camper ((pronounced in a posh way or as Honge))
> 
> Zoe is the female camper ((pronounced Zoey))
> 
> Hanji is the male instructor ((pronounced Hangee))
> 
> I'm also having two Levis. There can never be too much Levi, right everybody?
> 
> Levi is the camper
> 
> Rivialle is the instructor

"What do you MEAN you don't know why you're here you piece of shit!" The councilor demands. I flinch.

"I'm not sure why this place was reccomended to me." I lie smoothly.

"Seriously?" Jean asks. 

"I'm giving you one chance to change your answer before I get your file and tell the circle why you're here myself." the tan, bald bearded man declares. 

"I don't want to tell everybody."

"One last chance you shit bag."

"What!" My jaw drops.

"You can't do that!" Jean gasps.

"That's uncalled for!" Eren snaps.

"Sir." Petra, the woman from yesterday speaks up. "Maybe that's a bit harsh?"

"Connie." Marco glances at me. "Just tell him what you think got you sent here."

Shardis, the councillor is glaring at me. Waiting for me to speak. I close my eyes. Let's get this over with then.

"My aunt died. And my parents blamed me. They think I have some sort of power that makes people want to hurt others. Well my mum does. My dad stood up for me on occasion even though it was his sister who died... so they got a divorce." I state. That's the most uncomplicated way of explaining what's wrong with me.

"Mikasa, did you hear that?" Eren enquires. 

"Yes Eren." Mikasa stares at me coldly. Armin gives me a sad smile. 

"Next." Despite everybody's eyes being on me, the circle continue to tell the others what problem it was with them that got them sent to this camp. 

"I'm Samuel, I get scared easily." 

"I'm Tom and I take too many chances."

"I'm Ian and I am a magnet for danger."

"Tch, that's an understatement." Riko rolls her eyes. 

"Ilse Lagnar, I don't give up even when I should."

"I think I'll like her." Jean smirks. Marco rolls his eyes. 

"She won't look at you twice." he smiles at Jean despite just giving him a tough blow. 

"Ashton Gelgar and I'm stubborn." 

So many people are in this goddamn circle! How many is that now? Twenty? More? I begin to count the people who have spoken. Only twenty? I thought there were many more people! Maybe it was because groups fled the scene. I'm pretty sure lots did. 

"Looks like Ackerman's little cult is next." Connie whispers. Or at least it seems that he's trying to whisper. Cult? Which one's Ackerman? Isn't that Mikasa's last name? 

"Farlan Church, I'm too loyal."

"Isabelle, Sir, I am too eager to please." the girl who is at least two years younger than the blond boy who spoke first pipes up. Her hair is reddish and eyes a viberant shade of green. She looks so optimistic.

"Levi, I don't take well to authority."

"Tch, that's an understatement." Riko rolls her eyes.

"Who asked you four eyes!" Isabelle snaps. 

"Isabelle, calm down." Levi's smoky voice sooths the firey redhead. 

"Hange, sir." a boy with shaggy brown hair, sat next to Levi speaks up. His hair is a rich brown, like a tempered dark chocolate. His eyes are a chesnut colour and are framed by glasses that are so big that they look like goggles. "I like to experiment."

"Zoe, sir." a girl who looks like a female carbon copy of the boy beside her speaks up. Her hair is longer and piled up in a ponytail and her own chesnut eyes are framed by long lashes. "I'm said to be a bit psychotic."

"Tch, that's an understatement." Riko rolls her eyes.

"Shut UP four eyes!" Isabelle makes a fist. 

"Calm down!" Levi chides. 

"Are those two twins?" I enquire. 

"Who, Hange and Zoe?" Marco asks in reply.

In response a curious Jean nods his head as well as me.

"Hange and Zoe are twins, yes." Marco nods with a gentle smile. 

"Is someone talking shit?" Farlan asks. 

"Ugh, it was Bodt." Hange groans. 

"He's lucky to have immunity." Farlan makes a fist.

"Immunity?"

"I wouldn't say that, Farlan." Isabelle shakes her head. "Marco is anything but lucky."

"Haha, nothing." Marco smiles, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He smiles at Isabelle. She hangs her head as if she was just bitch slapped by emotion. 

"Tch, that's an understatement." Riko rolls her eyes.

"Who asked you four eyes!" Isabelle snaps. 

"Isabelle, calm down." Levi snaps. 

"I'm sorry....but...Marco."

"It's fine, Isabelle." Marco assures. 

"But-." the boy with the kind eyes and freckled face cuts the redhead off. 

"There's nothing anybody can do." He closes his eyes and smiles sadly.

"What is he talking about?" I ask Jean in a whisper.

The boy with muffin top hair simply shrugs. 

"Hello! I'm still here!" Shardis shouts. "And we are yet to establish what is on the agenda for today."

"There's an agenda?" I tilt my head. This is my first ever summer camp.

"Today you can do whatever you want. Enjoy your first day here. Just remember, no doing the obstacles without the instructors being there."

"Hello!" A line of people stood in a row wave. All of them are in beige green jackets. 

"I'm Petra Ral, I'm the cookery instructor primarily but I'm capable of doing any task at hand!" Petra, the girl from yesterday smiles at us all. 

"Gunther, I am one of the sports instructors." the guy who she had spoken to introduces himself.

"Eld, I'm an instructor for the obstacles." Oh great, another blond. 

"Moblit, I'm a councillor for personal stuff but I also help with obstacle instructing." And a blondish brown haired guy. So many blondes!

"Hanji! I can do everything except enter the kitchen or Petra will skin me alive." This guy looks like Hange and Zoe a bit. His hair's quite long so it's piled up in a ponytail. 

"Rivialle and I swear if anybody makes a ravioli joke I will not be responsible for my actions." a stern dark haired man of average height and beady steely eyes folds his arms. I find myself scooching backward away from this angry looking instructor.

"Erwin Smith. I'm in charge of this camp. Any concerns, come to me." the guy with HUGE eyebrows smiles.

"Mike Zacharius. I'm second in command, if you can't find Erwin, speak to me."

"Yes sirs!" we chime in unison. 

"Disband." Shardis barks. 

"Let's hang out at the stairs and play the cup song!" that girl, Mina enthuses. 

"Anybody up for a bit of baseball?" Reiner asks.

"Always." the stoic blonde, Annie nods. "I'll beat your ass."

"Bring it." Reiner smirks at the short girl.

"Reiner, you seem to have a fascination with getting your ass beaten." Bertholdt, the brunet from yesterday says cooly.

"I DO NOT!" The buff blond snaps.

"Jaeger, you never learn, do you?" Levi, the dark haired guy with an undercut says to Eren.

"Shut up, shortie! This year, we'll win!"

"You didn't win last year. Or the year before. Or the year before that. What makes you think, after three years of failed attempts, that you'll defeat us in a prank war?" the shorter guy squares up to Eren. Mikasa looks ready to tear off Levi's head. Armin has hold of her so she cannot lose her mind. 

"Hey twin of name!" Connie calls.

"Hey Connie. Hey Sasha." I greet. 

"Want to play baseball?" I'm offered. 

"Sure, why not." I nod once. A group of teens begin to emerge. Eren, Armin and Mikasa come over too. 

"You ready for a counter attack this year?" Connie asks Eren.

"You said it Connie."

"Counter attack?" I cock a brow.

"Prank war, duh. We're going to snatch that crown from Ackerman's head!" Sasha declares. 

"But first, we're going to play some baseball!"

What did I get myself into?


	4. Got Any Ships?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Told you guys in the tags that Annie ships ReiBert!!! ^w^  
> This is one of my favourite Modern!AU headcanons!

"Oh my GOD!" Sasha whines, claiming a huge bench outside by a campfire. My 'twin of name' and I sit down too.

 

"It's been so long since I've played baseball with Braun, Hoover and Leonhardt. Jesus, they don't know when to quit." Connie looks as if his soul has been drained from his body.

"Doesn't help that Mikasa wouldn't give in. We played for FIVE HOURS!" Sasha rests her head on the bench.

"I do know that. We all played." Armin sits beside me. 

"C'mon guys! Look on the bright side! We did so much exercise today!" Thomas Wagner enthuses. 

"I fucking hate you Thomas." Eren mutters through gritted teeth. 

"That's a bit mean." I chide. 

Mikasa comes over to the bench with a plastic tray piled high with food, she hands Armin and Eren some of the food. Sasha and Connie get up, beckoning me to follow. I do so.

We go into the packed canteen and get food. Sasha and Connie get a plethora of fries and tomato sauce. I opt for a hamburger and a smaller carton of fries since the burger looks huge. I spot Marco and that other guy, Jean following him. They've joined our table by the time we get there. 

Conversations of past antics are mentioned across the bench. It seems that Jean and I are the only newbies in this group. Marco and my roommates try as hard as they can to involve us in conversation. 

"Hey Jean?" I ask. 

"Hmm?" he nods as he sips his can of lemon lime fizz. 

"Why did you kiss the tips of your fingers when you were playing ball?" I enquire. "It was kinda funny."

"It's for good luck!" he folds his arms. 

"Yeah because you had some amazing luck." Eren laughs. 

That is true, Jean fell flat on his face on his way to last base and struck out in the next round. It was hilarious. I actually think I spotted Armin filming it. 

"Got any ships?" Sasha demands over her plate piled high of chips. She and Connie and helping themselves to the fluffy crispy delights. According to Connie, the best chips are served at Camp Kyojin. I'm still eating my burger. It's almost cold now because we won't stop talking amongst ourselves.

"Ships? No, I don't sail." I shake my head, bun between my teeth.

"No not boats!" Sasha snorts a laugh. "SHIPS! Like Eren and Levi." Eren almost chokes on his can of full fat coca cola. He begins to cough. Mikasa claps him on the back. 

"But Sasha, they look like they simply want to beat one another at a prank war." I dismiss. 

"Seriously! You have to look DEEPER! Look HARDER and you'll sense the sexual tension." Sasha flails her arms around. Eren looks like he's about to pass out. Jean's laughing hysterically at Sasha's words; harder than all of Eren's other friends from his prior years at this camp. Mikasas keeping him upright on the bench. 

"...Mind if I...sit with you?" Annie asks. "Reiner and Bertholdt are already here so..." 

"Sure!" My 'twin of name' grins. "Hey Jonesy, scooch over so we can fit Annie at the table too." I am instructed. I cock a brow. Is there still space? I obey and move closer to Armin so Annie can perch on the edge of the bench. 

"You were talking ships?" Annie enquires.

"We were indeed." Connie nods.

"Any news on ReiBert?" Sasha whispers.

"ReiBert? As in Reiner and Bertholdt?" My eyes are wide.

The three nod. "Annie here is the president of the ReiBert fandom. She's been shipping them since she learned that a man could love another man." Connie explains quietly. 

"Only bad news." Annie's shoulders sag. "People at home have been shipping Bertholdt and I more and more. It's making me annoyed. Can they not see how perfect ReiBert is!" she dramatically hits her head against the bech. I flinch. 

"I've never seen the ice queen so animated." Thomas says as he passes by. "That's incredible! The optimism of this camp is finally getting to you!"

"I fucking hate you Thomas. Fuck off."

"Ouch." That Mina girl sniggers, walking with some of the other girls. 

"What were you so happy about, Annie?"

"Yeah Annie!"

"C'mon! Tell us, Annie!" I glance at the pale blonde girl. She looks Russian to me. She's clearly mad.

"SHIPS! WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHO WE THINK WOULD HAVE GREAT ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS!"

"You mean like Connie and Sasha?" Armin enquires. 

"EXACTLY!" Sasha exclaims before going red. "Wait...no...not us...we're not...GAHHH!" 

"Any other ships?" Connie asks the table. 

"Totally either Connie and Sasha, Bertholdt and Annie or Eren and Levi." the cherubic faced Krista skips by, arms linked with the tall freckled brunette, Ymir.

"I ship them." Marco says with a smile. "Because Krista makes Ymir so happy. Krista only came to camp last year, Ymir had been going for longer than I had. The happy blonde made Ymir such a better person. They live in the same county. I heard that for birthdays they meet up and during Christmas break they meet up. I think that they are like the Yin and the Yan."

"Well I ship Eren and Levi because they hate each other so when they would fuck each other it would be much more aggressive. Thus a LOT more appealing." Sasha's bouncing in her seat. Eren looks as if he wants to knock the living daylights out of the bubbly girl helping herself to cold chips because they taste good. 

I finally finish my burger. I am full so I tip the chips onto the plate Connie and Sasha have been eating from. They're looking at me as if they have just seen a miracle happen. 

"Let's gather 'round the campfire!" Petra beckons us all over. Younger kids go running. According to Armin, who I had asked earlier when I spotted a ten year old running after some other kids of a similar age, they have been here for about a week now in dorm houses instead of individual cabins, the younger kids are kept away from the older ones since it is more often than not that the older kids are a lot more problematic than their younger counterparts. 

"And sing our campfire song! Our C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S-O-N-G song! And if you don't think we can sing it faster then you'e wrong, but it'll help if you just sing along...." Petra's friend, Gunther strums an acoustic guitar.

"C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S-O-N-G song! C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S-O-N-G song!" Petra, Gunther and the kids sing along, getting faster and faster. 

Eren rolls his eyes. He tugs on my 'twin of name''s arm. 

"We're doin' this!" Connie seems to have seen this as a signal of some sort. 

"You said it, Connie!" Eren declares. "Let us act under the cover of night!" whispers, taking hold of Armin and Mikasa's arms. 

Connie takes my arm and gently pulls me along. I frown, Sasha doesn't have to be dragged.

"Let us initiate phase one of mission: Win Ackerman's Pranking Crown." Armin says. 

"Hell yeah!" Sasha's overjoyed. "Finally!"

Does this happen every year? Actually, I'm afraid to ask.


	5. Mr Half-Sleeve Snake Bites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, it's a stupid idea but wouldn't FARLAN CHURCH BE HOT WITH SNAKE BITES!?!?! ^^

I'm too dressed up! I don't suit this at all! Why am I dressed like this anyway! Why couldn't Sasha do it! I'm not a good choice for this sort of thing. Hell! Even Armin would look better in this outfit than I would! The flowers don't work with my personality. And my hair and skin tone are totally wrong for this outfit! My skin is to tanned to wear black without looking silly and my hair is the wrong kind of brown, my roots are showing! I hate my appearence yet now I'm being thrown into a situation that feels like America's Next Top Model, except...instead of Tyra Banks at the end of this rocky dusty catwalk, it is Levi Ackerman and his "cult".

"This is insane." I whisper.

"I know." Armin sighs. "But it's a tradition that has to be upheld."

"They're most likely chasing Mikasa for throwing a waterballoon at them." Sasha giggles.

"Shhh!" My twin of name cautions. "Isabelle and Hange and Zoey have most likly gone after Mikasa. Farlan and Levi are too smart for the diversion."

"Well then why are we launching our attack?" I am completely confused.

"That's easy. It's NOT the actual attack. Connie, Sasha and I will be doing that while you and Armin get Farlan and Levi to chase you."

"But how will that work?" I cock a brow.

How can we distract Levi and Farlan? I stare at Armin. He shrugs.

"Are you okay with doing this, Connie?" I am asked.

I sigh. "I guess so."

"He doesn't know you. You will be knocking, Farlan cannot resist a cute girl. I'll deal with Levi." Armin says. I nod. "He's charming. Don't fall for his advances. Ymir clocked him into next month when he tried flirting with Christa."

"...Good to know...." I force a smile.

"Go on!" I am encouraged.

"Do I look cute enough for this?" I query.

Armin nods, not saying a word. Wait... Armin called me cute...? 

I take a deep breath. I guess this is why Sasha picked out an outfit for me. The pretty skirt is quite short but it seems that everyone trusts her judgement. 

I knock on the door. Was that my fist on the wood or my heart against my ribcage?

The blue eyed blond opens the door. I stare at him. He looks different when I saw him at breakfast... He's changed clothes... I saw a few marks on his face...those were holes, for piercings. He has snake bites, black studs stand out from his skin. He also has a small ear stretcher in... I can see a stud in his nose too. 

Well, Farlan Church just became like ten thousand times more attractive...

I can feel Armins eyes on me. He wants me to get the older and more attractive blond out of the way.

"Uh... My roommates aren't in my dorm." I blurt as innocently as I can, rubbing my toes across the spot they're on as I avoid eye contact like awkward cuties do on TV. "And it's real dark. Could you come with me?"

"Just go, Hange, Zoey and Isabelle will be back any second." There's Levi.

Farlan nods. He holds his hand out to me. I take it, leaving Armin to deal with Levi. 

"You're that girl. The one who claimed to not know why you were sent here. I had thought something this morning, hold still for me." I freeze. 

"Knew it, you would suit a Monroe piercing." Farlan states. 

I blush. "I was always asking to get one."

"You are pretty weird, Connie." My jaw drops.

"How do you know my name?" I cock a brow.

"Springer called you his twin of name." His response is a half smile. Dammit, he looks good!

"Oh..."

"You're cuter than your nickname makes you out to be." I am told.

"No I'm not!" I gasp.

"Well I bet your full name is much more fitting." He grins. "What is it."

"C-c-connie Lynne Jones." I stammer.

"Really pretty." Farlan says, face right in front of mine. "Which was is your room?" He murmurs into my ear.

I hiccup. 

"Up the hill." I state.

Farlan takes my hand. "Can't have you falling now, can we?" He asks.

I shake my head, stealing a glance over my shoulder, Armin is running away, Levi is at his heels... That can't be fun.

"You're in the unisex room?" Farlan cocks a brow. Has he caught me? Does he know who else is in this room?

I nod.

"Hope you're not stuck with perverts." He sounds genuine. 

"...I'm...not." I murmur.

"Hey, do you want me to wait inside with you?" I am offered.

Thats a good plan, it keeps Farlan from catching Eren, Connie and Sasha while pulling the mega prank or whatever they said it was called. I nod shyly, opening the door to the dorm. Marco helped toss lots of random stuff around to make Farlan think that I wasn't rooming with Connie and Sasha. I have no idea how he was convinced. But I guess that that is beside the point. 

"You look scared..." Farlan states. I am, I don't want to screw up.

"I don't want to be at Camp Kyojin, I like it but..." I trail off. Why is it so easy to be honest with him? He has that kind of presence. A calming one, even though he looks like a badass.

"I get it." Farlan smiles at me. "I was worried too, I was sent here over a false accusation. Turned out it was the best way things could have gone. Wouldn't have met Levi or Isabelle or Hange and Zoey."

"You turned out well then? Because of the camp?" I enquire. He nods.

"We did it! We did it! Oh yeah yeah yeah!" Sasha cheers. I gulp, looking beside me. But Farlan is already gone, I can see his foot coming out of the window. I sigh.

The door bursts open. Everybody is back. Mikasa, Armin, Eren and my roommates! 

"We just pulled the ultimate prank on Mr. OCD!" Connie declares.

"YEAGER!!!!!!!!!!!" Eren laughs at the bloodthirsty roar. 

"And so they begin their counterattack." Mikasa sighs.

"And so, the real fun begins." Connie grins. 

"You okay, Jonesy?" I am asked. Armin looks concerned

"Did you guys know Farlan Church has snake bites?" I query. 

"Knew we should have made Armin wear the outfit." Eren mutters.

"Looks like someone didn't listen and hot charmed by Mr. Half sleeve snake bites." Armin says kind of sourly.

Why is he unhappy?


	6. High Five For Epic Fails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Man, posting this chapter is hitting me with nostalgia! I'm glad there's a reason behind the posting :3

It's been three weeks since Eren and Connie initiated their masterful prank. The only sort of pranks we've been hit with are by other dorms that want Levi Ackerman's crown that made him the prank war king. According to Marco, Isabelle actually had the camp hold a crowning ceremony, where she put a novelty pink fluffy child tiara on Levi's head. Marco also says that he's pretty sure that Levi takes it every year as a reminder of how victory feels. 

It's too crowded in here, the breakfast hall is squished full of people squabbling because they want to sit at the bench by the window. 

"I never got why nobody fought for that table." Jean points to the table that Farlan is sat at, headphones in and headbanging to the loud music playing from the buds. 

"That's Ackerman's table. It's conveniently right by the air conditioning and also very close to the food. Nobody wants to pick a fight with Ackerman or his cult. So nobody questions ignoring it, even if the whole table is vacant." Eren explains. 

"We don't have a bad seat ourselves." I muse.

"But we have to be here first to get to the table right by the water softener." Mikasa interjects between bites of her de-raisined raisin muffin.

Currently, Eren and Armin are flicking the fruit at each other. Eren's eaten all of his food, the all you can eat buffet breakfast bar is being replenished and replenished. I can hear the green eyes brunet's stomach growling because of deprivation. 

"Oi, isn't today the day we find out who gets to use the minivan this weekend?" Sasha asks, sitting at the table too. 

"Yeah." Eren nods to the affectionately nicknamed 'Potato Girl'. She joins my twin of name at the bench.

"Our odds are higher this year, now that we're not having to rely solely on Marco's name being chosen. Because most of us have a driver's licence now." Armin muses. "And we've been more social." 

"Sticks and stones, goldilocks." The coal eyed girl shrugs. 

"Yo." Reiner and Bertholdt walk by, Annie at their heels. "Are we building rafts today, Eren?"

"Yeah. That's the plan. A dip in the lake is a great idea for fun." The shorter brunet nods to the group of older kids.

"Yuck but the lake is dirty!" Jean makes a face. 

"That's fine, Jean. You can watch on the sidelines while we build rafts and race canoes." Mikasa shrugs. 

"Attention you bunch of poop nobblers. I have the results of the first weekly minivan draw." Those who are younger than me continue to eat. However everybody else simulates a drum roll by drumming against the table with their plans, fists or silverware. 

"Armin!"

Armin is beaming, he's on cloud nine, Eren claps him on the back and Connie and Sasha jump for joy.

"Who do we invite?" Sasha asks.

"Who do I invite...who DO I invite? "

"Us! " Sasha exclaims.

"How many seats do we have? Maybe twelve?" Mikasa muses.

"Marco, the three of us and the three of you, Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie...we have enough room to invite Horse Face too!" Eren exclaims. 

"Hey!" Jean is sat next to Mikasa, she's not so happy about it but the only other place for him to sit would be with Eren, Connie and Sasha. 

"Why is getting out of here such a big deal?" I ask.

"We can go into town!" 

"What's so good about town?" Jean asks. Marco takes the final seat on our cramped bench. 

"Town is so cool!" 

"You're understating it, Eren." my twin of name jabs the green eyed boy.

"It's more of a city than a town. There's an amusement park, half an hour away and town is ten minutes drive from here and crammed full of one of a kind vintage shops." 

"Amusement park! " I exclaim.

"Vintage! " Jean looks happy.

"Stupid hipster." Marco teases, nudging his roommate.

"I am NOT a hipster!" Jean folds his arms. 

"Is everybody done?" Armin asks, getting to his feet. 

"Yep!"

"What the-." I am cut off by the sight of a clean plate in front of Sasha. How the hell did she finish her breakfast that quickly. 

"We're going to the lake then!" Eren pumps his fist. We rise from the table, walking two by two to get to the lake; Eren and Mikasa, Jean and Marco, Connie and Sasha and Armin and myself.

"I think you'll love the lake, Jonesy." Armin says. "It's always so peaceful and tranquil. The lake is one of my favourite places to go." 

"We're here!" Eren shouts.

Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie had beaten us to the lake. The boys are carrying barrels and canoes, the heavy stuff, while Annie lugs the thick rope down the bank. 

The boys who opted to do so start to assemble rafts out of barrels and rope. Someone clears their throat.

"Oh look, we have challengers." Eren mutters, unamused. So much for a lighthearted day. Now it's going to be some sort of rivaling smack down!

Rolling! I hear rolling! Whining, laughing and rolling. Heavy rolling. I turn my head and spot those brunet twins. 

"Ride the barrel Hange. Roll in under your feet. " the girl, Zoey instructs as the twins run on barrels toward the grassy bank. 

"Zoey, I'm wobbling." Her brother wails. 

"Faster!" Isabelle jumps on the spot. Zoey, the girl who clearly has more control over the barrel under her bare feet, goes faster. That provokes Hange to do the same. Only he hasn't realised that he's at the edge of the bank. 

Splash!

"Urghhhh!!!~"

Splash!

"Yeheah! Whoooo!!!!" 

I look up and spot two tyre swings hanging over the lake. Zoey is swinging on the rope like a monkey on a vine. Hange is just less than impressed. 

"Sasha! Let's go!" Connie and Sasha drag Bertholdt with them as they walk back up the bank. Annie is making notes in her journal.

"Whatcha writin'?" I ask, the blonde and I have been sat on the grassy bank side by side for a while now. 

"I'm tallying." Annie shows me an intricate chart, colour coded and tallied. She's noting how many times Reiner and Bertholdt have made eye contact, brushes hands and stared at the other's ass. I giggle at her tally. According to Annie, they've stared at the other's ass more times than they've made eye contact!

"Suck this, Ackerman!" Why the hell are my roommates in a two person rowing boat. 

"Lean!" Both teenagers lean forward to start the charge to the bottom.

Their laughing makes me want to do something like that too. They are aiming for an end that curls up. A launch pad? Sasha, in the front is launched further ahead, she goes straight through the hole in the tyre. My twin of name, however misses the mark and lands in the water with a splash. He stands, laughing and rubbing the back of his neck. He holds his hand out to Hange. 

"High fives for epic fails!" Connie grins. 

"My turn!" Isabelle gets onto the barrel. She launches herself off of the same ledge that Connie and Sasha did however she goes higher and one for lands on the tyre swing that Hange was meant to hit. 

"One foot? Skills!" Isabelle then loses her footing, toppling into the lake. She laughs happily as if that were the point. It reminded me of that gymnast who fell flat on her stomach because she missed her landing and poked one foot up like in movie kisses. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's how Isabelle moves. 

"I have to beat their asses!" Reiner makes a fist. Eren nods. 

"Think you can hold my weight?" Eren asks.

"Dude! You're a stick." The bulky blond scoffs. 

Reiner and Eren head to wherever these barrels are located. Eren clambers onto Reiner's shoulders. 

"Tch." Levi scoffs before glancing at his friends. "FARLAN! WHY ARE YOU SHIRTLESS!"

"He's shirtless!" I gasp, looking up at the top of the bank. Wow. 

Armin groans, pulling me away so I cannot stare at the blond with snake bites and half sleeves.

"I've got to film this shit! Two hundred and fifty quid here I come!" Jean pumps his fist, climbing up the bank.

"Oi! Zoey! Climb the rope!" Isabelle exclaims. "This shit's gonna be good."


	7. I Lost My Shoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahh! And so, the first of my actual camp experiences appears in the story! That's right people, I lost my wellington boot in the pond at camp when I was in Year 6, what fun times! My classmates all went looking for it in the water but because it was a pond, nobody could actually see anything :3   
> Ahh, memories~

"Don't do it!" Marco cautions. The kind boy is climbing the bank. Something in his eyes is contradicting his words...does he want to do something like this?

"Nah! Nah! Let them do it! I wanna see this work out!" Connie pumps his fists as he jumps about in the water. 

"You can do it!" A soggy Sasha encourages. 

"Move!" Armin laughs.

"SHIT!" My roommates and Hange shout, dispersing, moving on toward the banks. 

It's like some sort of unicycle act. Eren has his arms out for balance as Reiner moves as quickly as he can without actually running off of the barrel. They somehow make it down the bank and to that launch pad. 

Reiner and Eren go flying. The bulky blond tosses Eren upward and the smaller boy seizes the rope. His body weight makes the rope swing and the tyre hit Reiner and knock him into the water. There's a huge heavy splash. 

"GODDAMN IT! MY THUMB WAS BLOCKING HALF OF IT!" Jean stomps his foot. 

"Hey, where's Marco gone?" Bertholdt asks as the bulky blond climbs out of the lake. Annie has her hawk like gaze on Bertholdt. She records her observation in a separate page, her handwriting is scruffy in this instance. Also, it goes in a diagonal line. What is she seeing?

"Look. Look at his face." I squint. Is Bertholdt Fubar blushing? Is that what Annie wrote? No. No it's longer than that. I watch the tall leaner brunet's eyes wander. He can we through Reiner's shirt!

"Eleven out of ten for tenacity. I'll give you a generous three out of then for execution." Levi shouts from the top of the bank. Everybody looks up to see what's going on. Only to see Marco up there. Isabelle starts to shriek.

"Marco! Marco no!" Isabelle cries out, having hoisted herself onto the tyre that Zoey is on top of. "What if you get hurt! What if you get worse!"

"Worse?" Jean and I query in unison. 

"Shhh. I'll tell you later." Annie murmurs. Seems Armin has said something similar to Jean too. 

"Jesus, Isabelle, if he wants to do it then let him do it!" Farlan complains. 

"Shut UP Farlan!" Isabelle sulks. 

Marco smiles sadly. He closes his eyes. 

"Live fast, die young." Marco declares. Farlan holds the barrel still while the teen with a freckled face takes a step onto the barrel.

"I can't look!" Isabelle flinches. 

"I can!" Farlan declares. "Go Marco!" 

"Yes." Levi nods in approval. 

"MARCO!" Isabelle shrieks, appalled. 

"He's doing well!" Eren pumps his fist, letting go of the rope and falling off of the swing. "Shit!"

Mikasa giggles, everybody else is laughing a lot more openly. Even the more stoic individuals like Levi and Annie. 

Marco is moving steadily, his arms are stretched out to maintain balance. He goes up the launch pad and almost falls off of the back of the barrel upon the impact of Isabelle's furious glare. However he presses on. He, like Sasha ends up going through the hole in the tyre that Isabelle climbed on. But he hooks his legs on the rubber and dangles over the lake, grinning triumphantly.

"Yay Marco!" the group cheer, amazed by his actions. 

"Hey, Connie. " Farlan greets, jogging down the bank. 

"Jesus, put a shirt on!" Armin makes a disgusted face. 

"What are you going to do, short ass? I'm just talking to Connie." 

"Please, Farlan, I'm conducting observations." Annie mutters.

The older blond feels a deadly glare. Her eyes are conveying questions that Annie is to reserved to blurt out. The look on her face also conveys anger. 

"What? What if they're having a hardcore make out session behind you." He rolls his eyes at her quiet yet venomous question. 

"Sorry. Sorry." He puts his hands up in surrender.

Armin frowns as Farlan approaches. 

"Do you want a go too?" Before I can even consider his offer, my attention is drawn to a green eyed brunet.

"Jonesy! You're light! C'mon! Reiner needs a free spirited person to hold on each bicep." Eren wades his way out of the lake.

"Hell no!" I shake my head. "Go ask Krista."

"Ymir would want my head, no way I'm using Krista." Reiner declares. Behind him, Bertholdt nods. Annie tilts her head and squints before adding another strike on her chart. Is he really looking at Reiner's ass! 

"WHO is using Krista?" An authoritative voice booms over the lake.

"Oh god! It's Ymir!" Eren ducks behind me, quivering.

"Is she really that scary?" I giggle. 

Reiner and Bertholdt nod firmly. 

"Are you guys building rafts? Can we join you!" The perky fruity voice of the bubbly blonde that is Krista allows Eren to sigh and move back into Ymir's line of vision. I shoot Annie a quizzical look, joining her again on the bank. 

"According to Marco, Ymir used to be real aggressive and cold hearted. Krista melted her frozen heart." Annie murmurs as she watches her friends. 

"C'mon Ymir! Let's pull the barrels that rolled into the lake out. "

"Krista." Ymir laughs. "You should change out of your sandals first." 

The blonde blushes out of embarrassment. She then nods and tugs the taller freckled brunette back with her. 

"We're running out of time, you'll have to go fast!" Farlan tries to drag me to the top if the hill. Armin grabs my hand, pleading expression on his face. Farlan glares at the smaller boy. Armin takes off my watch.

"Don't want that getting wet he he he heeehhh..." Armin deflates as I am pulled to the barrels. 

"Farlan! I have the worst balance ever!" I pout. "I'll fall straight off!" 

"Hey, Potato Girl, baldy, can you bring up your canoe? Connie and I are going to give it a shot." Farlan calls.

"This I've gotta see!" My twin of name exclaims, lifting the top half of the canoe.

"You've got that right! Nice one, Farlan! Jonesy never gets to join in!" Sasha agrees, lifting the other half of the canoe. 

With a splash, everybody drops out of the tree and off of the tyre swings.

"Hop in." Farlan gestures to the front of the canoe. He chambers in behind me, and like Connie and Sasha before us, the two of us lean forward. Adrenaline is making my mind go haywire. 

The rush of the warm summer breeze against my face makes my eyes light up like a Christmas tree. The pace, the thrill, the applause from the others; Levi's cult and Eren's friends alike. The laughter from Farlan. The almost contagious thrill of the fall causes me to smile. And laugh. And scream as I am thrown out of the boat. 

Ouch. Did I hit glass? Or a wall? Ow! Was it water? The lake? Did I faceplant into the lake? My face hurts. Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! My throat hurts. I try to take a breath and nearly swallow a huge mouthful of lake water, reeds and all AND my face hurts! I break the surface of the water and spit the water out like a whale using its blowhole. 

"Yeah! Go Jonesy!" Eren pumps his fist. 

"That was awesome!" I declare, treading water until I can hoist myself onto a stray barrel, sitting on it, causing the blue barrel to dip about in the water. 

Suddenly the barrel tips and I fall off with a small scream. 

"Sorry, Connie." The still shirtless Farlan Church smirks.

"We're back!" Krista chimes, she's in a vest, shorts and wellie boots. Behind her is Ymir, she hasn't changed clothes. Following the blonde girl's lead, Ymir wades into the murky water and helps Krista bring the barrels back to the bank. 

"Guess we should get the canoe." I suggest, swimming toward it. Farlan joins me at the other side. This is pretty heavy. I have to credit my roommates. They made it look like a piece of cake to carry it up the hill. 

"Oh." Krista says something. "I think...I think my shoe has come off."

"Your shoe?" Ymir cocks a brow. 

"Yeah. The boot has slipped right off my foot." The blonde rubs the back of her neck. "I can't get it! I don't know where it is!"

Eren starts to laugh. Annie is the next to join in, followed by Ymir, Marco, Connie and Sasha.

"You lost! You lost your Wellington boot!" Bertholdt laughs, slapping Reiner's thigh in the stead of his own. The tanned brunet blushes violently and Annie starts writing more notes in the book.

"That's not funny!" Krista pouts. "What do I do with the other one?" 

"Put flowers in it." Those on the bank freeze. "I don't have a fucking clue what you're talking about but flowers make everything better!"

"Hanji!" Hange and Zoey gasp. 

"My turn!" The bespectacled brunet councilor declares, running down the hill, using the momentum to jump at one of the tyre swings and land it. 

"Thank god it was only Hanji that caught us." Eren murmurs to Armin. The blond nods. 

"Now." The long haired instructor says. "I gather that you're building rafts. WITHOUT supervision. Levi, Eren, Marco, I expect better of you and your friends. Be better influences, Christ!" 

"Um...Hange?" Krista pipes up. "I've lost my wellie boot in the lake." Her words set everybody off once more. I can't deny it, that is pretty funny.


	8. Code Black

We had to get changed before dinner. Most of us are in long sleeves and jeans now. The summer nights can be chilly. Chilly or humid. We were all soaked after our misadventures at the lake. After we ate, everybody headed into the '16 and up' common room. And like the sheep I am, I was corralled along with my roommates and friends. Is it too soon to call them friends?

I find myself studying the room. How many of these people are actually friends? Eren, Armin, Mikasa? Definitely my roommates. Annie too, as well as Jean and Marco. But Marco's not here to be counted. He's been outside with Isabelle, Hange, Zoey and Levi for two hours now. Its dark now yet Eren's not bothered, clearly there's no problem with Marco spending lots of time with Levi Ackerman's cult.

"We all live in the same town." Farlan's most likely understood my thoughts. Is 'Mr Half-Sleeve Snake Bites' a mind reader? 

He's laying on top of the pool table. "We've always looked out for Marco. He was friends with Isabelle before she started getting into shit. They didn't talk for a long time. Not properly at lest...until...until he told her."

"He's pregnant?" Jean teases. 

"No. He's not. He's dying, you insensitive twat." Farlan shouts, sitting up and throwing a snooker ball at Jean. 

The blond rich boy ducks, the snooker ball knocks off his woollen hat. The one that says 'bad hair day'. He's in shock. 

"Dying?" I find myself enquiring. 

"Oh yeah. You two are new. He's stopped telling people." Farlan muses, swinging his legs and lighting a cigarette. 

"He's sick. It's not looking good for him. I think Marco's got a 20% chance that he'll make it until next summer." Eren muses from his place on the sofa. He sounds withdrawn. 

"Twenty's better than nothing. But it's painful. We never know whether today will be the last day that we see him smile. Hear him laugh." Annie sighs, sprawled out on a mountain of bean bags. 

"He sneaks to the medical room every morning. I take him when I go on my morning run." Reiner adds, he shivers, despite being in a letterman jacket. 

"He's been getting worse recently. But he's still kicking." Armin pipes up.

"I'm surprised that Mr and Mrs Bodt let him come this year. He's gotten much worse since we arrived. You didn't notice? The appetite? Nothing?" Mikasa enquires.

"I noticed that he would put his fries on our plate." Connie nods to Sasha.

"But everybody does that...I would have never put two and two together." I admit, feeling foolish and a sudden weight on my shoulders.

"Marco's strong. But there's a limit. Soon he'll lose his fight. But he wants a life. A life worth remembering." Farlan says, stubbing his cigarette butt out on the pool table. Another burn mark stains the previously green table. 

"So live a life you will remember..." Jean murmurs.

"Huh?" Sasha cocks a brow as she punches numbers in for a Snickers bar from the vending machine. 

"His dad told him that when he was a kid. Sad how Marco lives by it." Farlan explains. 

"I'm glad he's still kicking. I don't want to think about camp without him." Mikasa brings her knees to her chest. The slender Asian girl, dressed in skinny jeans, a blue thin galaxy print blouse and her red scarf with red Doc 

Martens to match the scarf is crying into the worn scarf. Silently, avoiding the attention that some of the others are drawing to themselves. 

Krista is crying too. But much louder. The quiet Ymir embraces the shorter blonde girl. The first person to speak up while the majority cry over Marco Bodt is Sasha. 

"Connie!" Sasha complains. 

"Yeah?" My 'twin of name' and I ask. 

"Code black!" Sasha wails.

"Again?" Connie sighs. 

"What's a code black?" I ask. 

"Sasha's got her hand stuck in the vending machine AGAIN!" Annie rolls her eyes. Sasha's stupidity lightens the mood almost instantly. I join Annie on the bean bag pile. 

"C'mon, Springer, let's get the butter." Farlan hops off of the snooker table and my roommate follows him out of the door.

"Who wants to play pool?" Reiner asks. Bertholdt takes hold of the ball that Farlan threw at Jean. 

"Sure!" Eren nods. Jean joins him at the table. 

"I'm tired." Krista declares. She and Ymir leave the common room; leaving just Sasha, Annie, Armin, Mikasa, Eren, Reiner, Bertholdt, Jean and I in there. 

"So we're going to the amusement park on Saturday and to town on Sunday." Eren proposes. 

"Yes." Is chorused throughout the room. 

"We ought to invite one more person." I state. "It's unfair to go as a group of eleven, one will always be left behind."

"Jonesy's right." Armin nods. "But who to pick..." 

"Isabelle, perhaps?" Jean offers. "If she and Marco are close, they can ride together. I'll ride with Mikasa." 

The dark haired girl sighs, not amused. 

"Eren and I, Reiner and Bertholdt, Connie and Sasha, Marco and Isabelle... Jean and Mikasa. Annie? Jonesy?" Armin is doing a head count about who would ride with who in the rides. 

I glance at the white blonde girl. She nods, small smile gracing her lips. 

"Sounds like a plan, Armin." Annie nods. 

"Brilliant!" Eren pumps his fist. 

The door to the common room opens. Marco comes in. The mood doesn't change, it's still lighthearted and fun. Sasha's still stuck. Eren's currently flicking cheetos at her. Sasha's not impressed. 

"Jonesy? You don't talk very much." Annie notes.

"Nor do you, maybe that's why we get along." I shrug. 

"What keeps you from talking?" My friend asks. 

What keeps me from talking? I don't know? Maybe I still feel like a newbie. Like I don't belong in the group. 

"I'm just awkward." I excuse. It's not a total lie. 

"Why did you get sent here, Jonesy?" I'm asked. 

"My family think I have the power to provoke suicide." I mutter. 

"Power to provoke suicide?" Annie cocks a brow. 

"My Aunt drunk herself to death." I explain. "Mum always blamed me."

"That's bullshit." Armin pipes up. "How inconsiderate." 

"Thanks Armin. Why are you two here?" I ask.

"I'm mainly here for Eren." Armin shrugs. "I use my lack of social skills as an excuse to stay enrolled here." 

"And you, Annie." The blonde makes a fist.

"I'm not emotionally empathetic. I beat a girl to a pulp and would have kept going if Reiner hadn't carried me away. I didn't get excluded from school because of it because that particular girl had been bullying me for three years. No regrets." Annie shrugs, wriggling into a comfy spot. 

"It was AWESOME! She knocked that shit down!"

"I know, Reiner, I was there." Bertholdt sighs. 

"Well then you'll remember! She knocked that shit down!" Reiner pumps his fist. 

The door opens again. Farlan and Connie come in with sticks of butter. They attply it to Sasha's bare arm so it can slip out of the vending machine. With the Snickers bar that she selected. Upon being freed, Sasha does a merry jig.

"Jesus, that's weird." Jean muses. 

"Your mum's weird!" Eren retorts with a pathetic 'your mum' joke Armin flings his body over Mikasa. Was a 'your mum' joke even necessary?

"Well your mum's so fat that when she walks outside, you'll think its a solar eclipse."

"Oh shit."

"MY MUM'S DEAD! YOU INSENSITIVE ASSWIPE!" Eren raises his fist to Jean's face. 

"Mikasa no!" Armin wails. 

"Mikasa yes!" Eren commands. 

The door opens. 

"Excellent comeback, Jeager Bombastic. How will you follow up Jeany boy." That scary councillor, Shadis pokes his head into the common room. 

"Um...I think I was going to loop to something about baseball...?"

"That just might work actually. But you know what might work better? GOING THE FUCK TO SLEEP!!!" 

"What he means to say is that lights out is in fifteen minutes. Time to go to your cabins." Petra pokes her head in after the angry councillor leaves. 

"To the lake?" Eren asks when the ginger girl leaves. 

"I'm going to go to bed. Try not to wake me up when you come in." I wave to my friends. 

"But Jonesy~" Annie tries her luck. 

"Tomorrow. We can go on the roof of my cabin and look." I declare. Annie wanted me to be her eyes, to watch out for shippable actions between Reiner and Bertholdt. 

"Seriously!" Her eyes are shining. I nod. The roof of my cabin has the best view of "nature" and even better, the best view of the baseball field, where Reiner and Bertholdt play on a morning and evening.

Armin and Farlan take me up to my cabin. They both claimed that I would fall in the dark. Why? Why are they doing this? 

Upon getting into bed. I drift off to sleep. Not even waking when my roommates came back.


	9. Cleaning The Wall

We were given a rude awakening this morning. Actually rude is an understatement. We were woken up at dawn by pounding at our cabin door. Sasha, being the heaviest sleeper, was still asleep when the Shadis, the scariest of the camp councillor burst into our cabin before shouting accusations at us. Apparently we vandalised the camp grounds? Did we? Or was this Connie and Sasha after I went to bed? No, Connie looks just as confused as I feel.

"Today you have to clean the crap off of your dorm walls and the roof!" Shadis declares.

Turns out that Eren was given a similar wake up call. He's helped us get started on our cabin.

"I can't believe we have to clean the wall." Eren huffs, scrubbing the wooden walls.

"I'm sick and tired of this shiett! " Connie shouts.

"You said it, Connie " Sasha declares.

"I'll take the roof! " I state, getting a ladder, my 'twin of name ' holds it so I can climb up. 

After fifteen minutes of bitching, Eren goes to his own cabin. Connie and Sasha have been cleaning, joking, washing, singing, dancing, scrubbing. It's been weird to hear.

"Need a hand, Jonesy? " Annie asks, binoculars around her neck. She wants to spy on Reiner and Bertholdt. Someone holds the ladder so she can join me. We cleaned for a bit, but then the true subject of her intentions come into view across the thin bank of trees.

"Pon pon way way way~!"

"Remind me why they're singing pon pon pon?" Annie moans, sat on the roof, binoculars around her neck. "I can't focus on my charts with them singing! "

"They were singing to caramelldansen earlier. The original Swedish version and then they replayed it and sung in English! Are they always this hyper?" I groan, scrubbing the roof.

"Did they do the dance?" I nod.

"I think they get high from the bleach." Annie states. "They're no longer pissed at having to clean...Here, look, Eren's room is almost clean."

"Of course it is, they were serious about cleaning. Well, once Sasha dug out the CD player, they became serious."

"That's because Connie and Sasha are scary when they've got a CD player. We're going to town on Sunday, right? You'll understand when we go to karaoke. "

"Did you say karaoke? " Sasha climbs the ladder to get to the roof.

"Yes, Sasha. I did. You'll be singing with Connie, right? "

"But of course! " Sasha exclaims, stood on the steps.

"Are you going to sing at karaoke, Annie?" Sasha asks.

"Yeah, of course. " she sounds like she's being sarcastic. 

"How's the roof looking, Potato Girl? " my 'twin of name' asks

"Wow! Jonesy's almost finished with the roof." Sasha exclaims.

"Incoming Ackerman! " Annie states, pointing. Armin, stood on his cabin's roof, is waving a black flag toward us. "He wants you to throw a water balloon. "

"Connie has those." Sasha climbs down the ladder. Connie joins us with a bucket of balloons and a slingshot. 

"This'll piss him off, Jonesy, wave the yellow flag of acknowledgement. And the orange flag for Eren."

"For Eren?" I cock a brow.

"Armin will relay a message to Eren who is in the bushes so we can pummel him with water balloons. " Connie explains, loading his slingshot. 

I stand up, brushing my legs down, I really wouldn't have worn shorts and a plaid shirt to clean a roof if I knew flags would be involved. I look like one of those girls you see in American movies with the over dramatised drag races, the slutty ones that wear plaid shirts and tie them so it enhances their bust and the tiny shorts. I wave the huge flags. Armin looks like he's caught the sun over there, he's kind of pink. He nods before turning to his right and relaying the a purple and black flag to Eren. What's the purple one for. Annie is smirking a bit.

"Three. Two. One!" Connie fires the balloons. So does Eren. Levi gets pummelled and totally soaked. 

He lunges at Eren, seizing him by the neck of his shirt, lifting the taller boy off of the floor. Only for Mikasa Ackerman to emerge out of a shadow and tackle Levi. In alarm, the shorter Ackerman lets go of Eren and both black haired teens go rolling down the hill. Annie produces a second pair of binoculars and hands them to me without a word. They've rolled down the hill and into the river, where the quirky instructor, Hanji is, water up to his chest with little kids on pedal boats, going around him. The curses erupt from Levi as soon as he breaks the surface of the water, at such a volume that we can here each colourful combination just as clearly as the last. He's really mad now.

"We've finished cleaning up the walls, Jonesy, shall we change and head down to the lake?" Sasha asks.

"Sounds good to me." I nod. "You staying up here, Annie?"

"Give me a second. Let's see if Reiner and Bertholdt are still on the baseball court."

"Have you been spying on them all day? " Connie snorts. 

"Not ALL day!" Annie protests. Connie climbs down and heads inside. He always goes first in order to give Sasha and I privacy when getting changed. We really appreciate that. 

"I'm so excited to show you the epic-ness that is the amusement park! " Sasha declares from the floor.

"It'll be so much fun, I'm glad that Isabelle agreed to come with us, we'll have to take a lot of photos, deal?" I beam. 

"Definitely! " Annie nods. 

"Okay! I'm done!" Connie has changed out of his slobby looking clothes into a pair of grey shorts, a white tank vest and a fruity pallet checked shirt, unbuttoned. He holds the ladder so Annie and I can get down. Sasha and I head I inside. She changes into a pair of lightwash shorts, a white vest and a peach jacket. I take off my cleaning clothes and put on a rich fushia top with an olive green denim playsuit over it.

We head down to the lake. Eren and Armin have joined Mikasa. Levi is mad. Really mad. So mad I'm sure smoke is billowing out of his ears! He gets up and leaves when we all sit down. Farlan ends up on the bank later in the evening. 

"The fireflies will come out soon." Mikasa smiles. 

"Can't wait." Eren nods.

"You excited to ride the rides, Jonesy?" Armin asks.

"You're taking Connie to the amusement park?" Farlan enquirers.

"We are indeed. " Armin nods.

"Have fun with her." And with that Mr Half Sleeve Snake Bites leaves us. 

The evening feels light, airy and magic, the twilight is illuminated by fireflies that dance around the skies. How beautiful


	10. The Amusement Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I remember basing this off when I went to the local theme park with my friends in Year 10 and again for my 17th birthday. Oh how time flies since we're about to be going back for my 18th!~

We all got up early, dressing for sweltering heat. We've smothered each other in sun cream, that is after everybody used it as face paint; Connie and Sasha were cats, Eren had a dick on his cheek thanks to Jean and Isabelle joined all of Marco's freckles up. We ate a quick breakfast and went back into our rooms to get our bags before hopping into the minivan and setting off.

The atmosphere is alive, everyone is chatty and bubbly. Talking about which rides they want to be on, Armin is driving, so Mikasa is sat with Eren. Jean is beside Armin. Who on earth knows why. Connie and Sasha, Reiner and Bertholdt, Marco and Isabelle and Annie and myself. That's the seating arrangement. And already, everybody is taking selfies. Eren's taking one with his arms up so he can include Marco, Isabelle, Connie and Sasha. So much laughing.

The radio is on too.

"Let's turn up the anthem of the summer, the Nights by Avicii!" The presenter declares. The whole minivan is silent for a moment, as the introduction plays. Despite everybody knowing this uplifting happy summery hit, nobody sings. That is, until Marco opens his mouth. The boy with the gentle freckled face, looking fragile enough to snap, is the first to utter lyrics.

"He said one day you'll leave this world behind. So live a life you will remember! My father told me when I was just a child, these are the nights that never die. My father told me." That starts everybody off singing together in a corny warble with flailing arms and wriggling around in their seats.

"Jonesy! Look! Their fingers!" Annie whispers. So this is why she wanted us behind Reiner and Bertholdt! So she can continue her observation. She begins to pound her feet against the minivan floor. I look at the hands of Annie's friends from home, their hands keep brushing by and lingering there! Oh my god! That's brilliant!

"MY FATHER TOLD ME!" the whole minivan exclaim in unison at the end of the song.

"Look! We can see the loop on Rage!" Sasha smooshes her face up against the window. My 'twin of name' laughs at her.

"You sure you're not dating?" Mikasa asks the duo behind her.

"EHHH! NO WE'RE NOT!"

"I CALL BULLSHIT!" Isabelle sneers.

"Seconded!" Jean shouts from the front. 

Another song comes on. Paramore! Oh my god, I love this song.

"I don't mind!" Connie and Sasha start the song off, staring at each other.

"Letting you down easy, but just give it time!" Annie clearly likes this song, or else why would she be singing loud enough for everybody to hear?

"If it don't hurt now, then just wait, just wait a while!" Eren joins the song,

"You're not the big fish in the pond, no more, you are what they're feeding on!"

"So what are you gonna do?"

"When the world don't open around you?"

"So what are you gonna do?"

"When the world don't open around you?"

"Ain't it fun, LIVING IN THE REAL WORLD! Ain't it good bein all alone!" I clamp my hand over my mouth, face burning with embarrassment.

"You're a great singer, Jonesy!" Armin shouts over. I bury my face in my hands. I was so loud, oh my god! Nooo!!!

"Code magenta!" Eren exclaims.

"Code magenta?" I ask Annie, who produces her phone .

"A scheme." Annie whispers. I look around me and everybody has their phone out. At the next red light, Armin hands his own phone to Jean.

"Tell me what it says...in French." Armin demands quietly.

"What's the need for French?" Jean asks.

Annie's eyes light up as if lighting has ignited magical fire that thrives for trouble and destruction.

"Connie and Sasha respectively flunked French." She whispers as we peer over Annie's phone.

An ancient song by Owl City blares through the radio. What ius this playlist? Didn't 'The Nights' come out in like December? January? And this song is REALLY old! Two years old easily!

"Hands up if you're down to get down tonight, cause it's always a good time!" Jean shouts, completely out of tune. The whole minivan starts dancing again but nobody is looking up from their phones. This song is two years old, what station are we listening to?

'Let's ditch Connie and Sasha! Then they'll start dating! Properly! It's brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!' Seriously Eren?

'Sounds like a plan! ' Marco! What the hell? Does he ship them?

'more time for Berthl' and I' Reiner is trying to kill Annie. Isn't he?

'Anybody see that? Just took a screenshot' Annie types frantically, as if her life depends on it before jumping onto a separate window. A group message with Connie and Sasha involved. Armin isn't on the contact list there, he's the subject of the decoy thread? Or is Connie and Sasha a decoy thread?

'i say that we surprise Armin on his birthday with cake!' Eren, that's such a bland celebration.

'OR we could throw a surprise party!' Reiner.

'what do you think, Jonesy? ' Me? Why does Marco want my opinion? And isn't Armin's birthday in the autumn?

We're almost at the theme park, it seems. The rides are distinguishable now, not just a rainbow cluster of track.

"We're almost here!" Armin chimes. Annie slides back to the Connie and Sasha thread.

'leave them once we go to the bathroom? Will that work?' Leave it to Mikasa to be logical here.

'if we eat by the crooked house, we'll be fine, we can ditch them when we get to the mirror room.' Isabelle?

'I know a short cut out through one particular mirror. It leads to the epic spinning rides like Vortex, Scorpion or Time Machine. ' Bertholdt? What the hell?

'i can feel your judgemental scowl, Jonesy, not nice, I used to work there. My colleagues smoked in there. And not just cigarettes. It leads out of the crooked house and back into the park. It was their escape route' oh, so that's how he knows! Should I feel guilty? 

'Jonesy says sorry~'

'K' Yuck, the one letter that ends a one on one conversation. 

'BACK TO BUSINESSES' Eren? Is the caps lock necessary?

'Mikasa, Isabelle, Marco, Reiner, go to the Armin thread.' He posts a second message.

They all obey and vanish from the chat.

"We're here!" Armin exclaims, parking the minivan and standing up to stretch his sluggish limbs. Unlike us, he hasn't had the luxury of a chilled ride.

We file out of the minivan and lock it. Eren demands a selfie.

"Give Bertholdt the camera, short ass." Reiner hands his friend Eren's phone and then the tall brunet lifts it higher so we can all gather around and pose.

"I'll put it on instagram later!" Eren declares after checking the picture out. I peek over his shoulder. Eren has his arms around Armin and Mikasa and the trio are pulling silly faces. Jean is cross eyed Sasha is on Connie's back even though she's taller. Annie and I are sticking our tongues out, making peace signs with their hands. Bertholdt is doing a pouty face and Isabelle is poking her head over the tall guy's shoulder, doing a duck face. Reiner has is arms in the air, thumbs up. And Marco is smiling sweetly in the middle of our mad picture. 

We head into the park and pay for our entry fees. We have a camper discount. It's awesome and to top it off, there aren't many people here yet!

"I have a FEELING that we're not alone today." Isabelle muses, starting to wave at a new collective. 

"NO WAY!" Marco jumps up and down. "Alice! Holy shit!"

"Sorry Marco, but I have other plans today, so Levi went home last night and brought Alice down." Isabelle rubs the back of her neck.

"Oh Isabelle! " Marco hugs his friend. 

Isabelle heads over to the group and slips a wristband onto the new brunette's wrist.

She careers toward the group and hugs Marco tightly. 

"I've missed youuuuu~!" the girl releases the fragile Marco from her embrace.

"Seems we're not important enough for your acknowledgement, eh, Alice. " Eren laughs.

"Jean, Jonesy, this is Marco's sister, Alice Bodt. Seems she's taking Isabelle's place." Armin says, glaring at the group. Each member is clearly identifiable; Levi is at the front. While he was home, he seems to have had a haircut. His undercut looking hair has been refined into a mohawk. Farlan is flanking him, his half sleeves visible. Hange and Zoey finish the group off. They wave to Isabelle. Could they have really missed the redhead that much?

"Nice to meet you, Alice." I chirp from beside Annie, opting to face this new arrival. I notice that Armin has his eyes on Levi Ackerman's cult and particularly Farlan Church. I put my hand on Armin's shoulder, drawing his attention back to Alice Bodt.

"Hi." Jean nods.

"Nice to meet you. " Alice looks a lot like Marco. She has the same tanned skin and freckled face. Like Marco, her eyes are warm and her hair is a rich chocolate brown. Her hair is short too. But it's curly and soft looking. But in contrast to the very Marco-like appearance is her glasses. Alice Bodt has very thick nerd glasses. She looks older than Marco. Maybe two or three years older.

"Let's take a selfie!" Alice shouts. 

"I don't like her. She puts a hole in my ship that is hard to patch. She was the spanner in the works of Reibert. You'll see why in a sec. " Annie mutters.

Reiner Braun scoops Alice Bodt into his arms and the brunette giggles. She holds her phone up and takes a selfie, with the two older guys. Reiner and Bertholdt are the oldest of the group. They seem to be happy in her company, but mainly Reiner. Annie huffs.

"She WILL ride with Marco, she WILL ride with Marco. She WILL ride with Marco." Annie mutters, scowling as everybody poses for the selfies.

"I'll tag you all in it on Facebook!" Alice declares as Reiner puts her down.

"What are you doing here, Alice?" Armin asks. What's wrong with Marco's sister?

"I wanted to spend time with my baby brother!" Alice hugs Marco. Again.

"Well what are we waiting for! Let's go!" Marco encourages.

"Don't have to tell us twice! Let's ride Vampire!"

"They have a Vampire here?" Jean looks amazed. The ride, 'Vampire' is mass produced. You can find it in a lot of theme parks. But I've only ridden it three or four times.

Everybody bands together and runs toward ride. The line is nonexistent so we all get to ride together as a collective. Alice was unhappy that those in charge of the ride queried whether Marco was fit to ride. But it didn't take too long for him to relent and let our friend ride. The rush is amazing! And the photos were hilarious to look at. We all bought copies and then Connie and Sasha convinced us to get our faces painted.

Reiner became a lion, Eren was a monster, Bertholdt got a crocodile on his cheek, jaw lining up with his lips. Marco became a tiger and Armin, a puppy, Jean had a parrot on his forehead that goes onto his neck but what was funniest had to be Connie. My 'twin of name' became spiderman!

The girls look funny too. Mikasa has pink blossoms painted across her face, making a mask of various shades of pink, Alice Bodt has a unicorn on her cheek, Annie and I have matching faces, both of us have butterfly designs on our faces, hers is pink while mine is orange. Sasha has a spiderweb design on her face so she and Connie sort of match. How is anybody meant to assume that they aren't dating!?!

We've taken some more selfies while our friends were getting their faces painted. Once we are painted, our large group transitions onward to Rage, a one and only Rage. This coaster is iconic here and we're all itching to get on the ride.

The incline is high and scary. Annie and I are riding with Armin and Mikasa. Eren and Jean are squabbling in the carriage behind us with Marco and Alice Bodt in the same cart. Connie and Sasha are in the next load to ride with Reiner and Bertholdt in the same line and some other people who we don't know are behind them. We are reluctant to look around at the top. My knuckles are white in anticipation. The four of us end up holding hands as we go down, shrieking in fear and exhilaration as we drop and go upside down. I feel eyes on me as I shout. Glancing to my left, I see a figure in a white shirt and black jeans with colourful half sleeves on each arm. Farlan? Farlan's looking at me?

"That was an incredible rush!" Armin exclaims as we jump off of the ride.

"Should we get lunch soon? Then we can initiate our scheme?" Eren seems eager.

"You seem eager to ditch your friends." Alice notes.

"They'll go on and it'll be just like a date!" Annie protests.

"How can you be so sure?"

"We're sure. It's Connie and Sasha after all. They live in the same city but have totally different backgrounds. They had never crossed paths but now they're inseparable." Marco defends Annie.

" You can tell when it comes to the two of them. I remember when Connie first showed interest in Sasha. It was just a simple 'wow, she's pretty'. But sometimes that's all you need." Armin sighs.

"Sweet. If you're all down with it then I can't stop you." Alice dismisses us as everybody else joins us.

"Stop you from what?" Connie asks.

"Armin wants a tattoo on his ass." Annie replies flatly. I cover my mouth, sniggling.

"Jesus, Armin, getting an ass tattoo is nowhere near as hot as Farlan's sleeves! If you are trying to impress Jonesy, then you're doing a bad job." Reiner declares. My jaw drops, what does this have to do with me?

"I was going to say the same thing!" Eren declares. "You're going to have to put in a LOT of effort to impress Jonesy next summer. You've seen the way she stares at Mr. Half-Sleeve Snake Bites."

"Farlan finally got snake bites?" Alice pipes up, eyes shining. "You have a good taste in men, Jonesy."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I refuse.

"Let's argue over lunch." Mikasa suggests.

"Sure." I nod.

"At least if Armin has an episode, there's going to be a table splitting him up from the object of his rage." Alice chimes.

"Shut UP Alice." Armin hisses. An episode?

I find myself staring at the cherubic faced blond. An episode? Is he on medication? But he said he used social issues as an excuse to stay at camp! Would he lie? Would he lie to me?

"What is she talking about?" I ask Annie. The blonde shrugs. She's lying. I can tell. Annie knows something. Something that I don't. Am I really going to have to beg? Or bribe her with Reibert.

We move toward a huge table, conveniently by the crooked house and the food stalls. I find myself sat with Annie and Armin. Eren and Mikasa are sat opposite Armin and I. Marco is with Alice and Connie is with Sasha. Everybody is together. Reiner and Bertholdt are falling all about the place, hyper and happy. We take orders and head to the stalls. It's so light and fun here. It's strange; here, with these people, I feel free. Free and bright and happy. I feel open and bright. I don't feel like that girl that I was at the start of summer. I have friends now. I never had good friends. I can tell because none of them has tried to contact me while at summer camp. 

"Sucks that we have to head back to camp soon. We have an hour and a half until we have to go

"Hey? Anybody want some doughnuts?" Mikasa speaks up.

"Ooh! Gimme gimme!" Alice seizes the paper bag of doughnuts before sliding them back to Mikasa with one in hand. 

Lunch takes a while, food is shared, selfies are taken and sone of us got seconds. We eat, deciding which rides to go on next. As a group, we opt to go on water rides once we get away from Connie and Sasha, then Vortex. 

"Come on! Come on! Let's do the crooked house!" Sasha's just set herself up. We nod enthusiastically and race into the crooked house, Bertholdt is the first one to the mirror room. Unlike the oblivious Connie and Sasha, nobody else lurks and stares at the mini attractions. 

Bertholdt holds the door open and we all pass through the trick mirror and arrive back in the park. There's almost no queue at the water ride so we file in. Eren, Armin and Mikasa ride in one rubber boat that will go shooting down a tunnel slide. Followed by Jean, Marco and Alice, then Reiner and Bertholdt and finally Annie and I. We could hear the excited screaming of our friends as we wait to go on. Annie and I are loaded onto a boat and are risen up for momentum, on a mechanical slope and once the wheels turn, the blonde and I go shooting through the slide, cheering and laughing as we go, trying to avoid swallowing water. Now that was fun. 

I opt to buy that picture, Annie doesn't understand why but I do so that's fine. We then move onto our last ride of the day; Vortex. Renowned for being the best adrenaline rush ever. Marco is going on the water ride again with Alice since he knows that there's no way that he'll be allowed on Vortex. The now, considerably smaller group of us are allowed on the ride after a ten minute queue, in the same go. We grin as everybody gets strapped in. Armin rides with Eren, Mikasa and Jean. I ride with Annie, Reiner and Bertholdt. 

The ride goes up and I feel my stomach drop. The carriages tilt to the side and slowly yet surely we begin to speed up. We all end up spinning, but the experience intensifies as the ride gains height. I'm screaming. I think we're all screaming. My throat is burning and I'm so dizzy yet I continue to shout out, enjoying the rush as I'm spun upside down. Annie isn't taking well to this part. Reiner has the nerve to turn and face the unhappy blonde behind him and ask if she's okay. Is he really that relaxed? Relaxed enough to talk! She doesn't respond until the ride slowly loses momentum, at that point, Annie Leonhardt leans forward and flicks Reiner in the head.

Once we get off of Vortex we are faced by four pairs of eyes. Alice and Marco look guilty. Connie looks amused and Sasha's pouting, huge pink teddy in her arms. Please tell me that Connie won that for her! Please please please!

"Last selfies!" Eren declares as we make our way back to the minivan and the familiar chaos of Camp Kyojin.


	11. Meds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I took a huge chunk of this chapter from tomandre on YouTube's A Slap On Titan, you should check that parody out - one of my all time faves!

The sun was bearing down on our skin for the whole day; we've been out for hours, walking through the town and taking selfies, and buying random things we like. The group is a tad different today; Isabelle is not in our company today, instead of Isabelle, we are in the company of Armin's favourite person; Alice Bodt. We've been drifting towards the karaoke bar all afternoon. Eren has been particularly excited about this. Armin... Not so much.

We've gone to random places in town, Sasha dragged us into a store that had a shirt with 'Fries before Guys ' written on it. She got the shirt, and got a matching 'best spuds' shirt with my twin of name. They're wearing them over their vest tops.

"Are they dating officially now?" Annie whispers. I shrug my shoulders. Their fingers have been lingering next to one another for a few seconds. I think they have been contemplating a relationship now.

"I swear. They're worse than Reiner and Bertholdt." Annie scoffs. I nod. Annie and I have been observing Reibert all day long and have be taking pictures of their mannerisms. It's been really fun, it sucks that the time at camp is drawing to a close. I am really starting to feel like I have true friends in this group. Particularly with Annie, Armin, Connie and Sasha.

"Welcome!" A quirky brunette chimes as we step into the bright karaoke bar.

"Hey, we have a reservation under Kiristein." Eren declares.

"Wha-"

"Shh." Marco chides Jean. Alice glares at the horse faced hipster.

"Brilliant! Right this way, Mr Kiristein. "

"Thank you!" Eren grins, following the girl, leading us to our secluded karaoke booth.

Once the door is shut, Eren shares a look with Alice Bodt. The bespectacled girl leans toward Jean and whispers something to him. Afterwards he nods.

"Last year we went with Ackerman and his cult. They trashed the booth and we could never make a reservation under the name Jeager again." Annie informs me.

"The year before that, we made the reservation under Ackerman, and they did the same thing. I couldn't book the room either, for Levi and I share a surname." Mikasa says

"Who is going first?" Mikasa asks, loading up the track list on the tablet connected to the jukebox.

"Let's go first, Sash'!" Connie grabs Sasha by her hands and pulls her up onto the stage. They raid the prop box on the stage for clothes. When they look back up, Sasha is wearing a tomato red afro and huge abs bright canary yellow plastic rimmed sunglasses. Connie is wearing an obnoxious flower crown and a pink feather boa. My jaw drops.

"HIT IT, MIKASA! " Connie points dramatically at the Asian girl in the red scarf. Except today it's being used as a wool like bandanna. Mikasa complies, letting a song that nobody mentioned being used, play through the speakers.

"Today I don't feel like doin anythin', I just wanna lay in my bed." I stifle a laugh as Eren whistles in the appropriate places.

"Don't feel like pickin' up my phone, so leave a message at the tone, 'cause today I swear I'm not doing anything."

They're not bad, not bad at all. They're just corny as hell!

"This song is ancient." Jean complains.

"Shh."

"They're trying to beat a record." Annie hisses, staring at Connie and Sasha. Occasionally, her eyes dart toward her older childhood friends. Alice Bodt is all over them and therefore is making Anne's blood boil. But of course she's mad, Alice has just shown up and is wedging a gap in the stable base of Reibert.

"Met a really nice girl, had some really nice sex, and she's gonna say Ahh this is great." the room goes silent and eyes veer to Sasha.

"Baby ah this is great!" Sasha imitates the Cali girl in the song precisely but finds herself sounding cheesier and more stereotypical than the original.

And then the laughter emits from their lips, provoking us to stop containing ourselves.

"Jesus, we never get past that part!" Connie laughs. Sasha nods her head in agreement.

"Hello, Mr Kiristein, I am here with the drinks menu. How many of you are over twenty one?" the hostess asks.

"We are!" Alice Bodt exclaims, arms around Reiner and Bertholdt.

"Right. ID's?" She asks. Alice nods, reaching into her top. Did she put her ID in her...Oh my god!

"Here are our ID's!" Alice chimes, having produced three ID's from her bra.

"I would recommend investing in wallets, but, yes they are valid." The hostess says after a quick glance at those ID's.

"Yeah yeah, but what thief will search for valuables in a bra!" Alice waves the hostess off.

"I'll be back soon to take your orders. Oh, I like your shirt." The hostess says as she passes Marco. His T-shirt is a bright violet colour with skeleton detailing on one side.

"Thanks." A faint blush stains the awkward Marco's cheeks. 

"Can someone go? It's bland without someone being embarrassing! " Alice demands as the hostess leaves the room.

"Yeah, I get it." Eren shrugs, making his way over to the microphone.

"What do you want on?" Mikasa asks. 

"Surprise me." Eren winks. The dark haired girl's face pretty much just combusted.

"Can Eren actually sing?" Jean sneers as the Celine Dion classic, My Heart Will Go On twinkles through the speakers.

"He's secretly really really good, not that you would be able to tell." Annie whispers to me, smile creeping onto her lips.

"How good are we talking?" I reply quietly.

"Smoky as fuck!" Mikasa sighs wistfully.

"Oh my god!" I cannot contain my excitement, there is one thing I cannot resist and that's an attractive singing voice; one that I can just close my eyes to and imagine anything that the lyrics conjure up in my brain.

"Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you."

"Fuckity fuck!" Jean mutters.

"Oh my fuck! His voice is hotter!" Alice looks like she'll drool at any second.

"Shit, why am I at karaoke with legitimately good singers?!" I wail.

"You're a great singer Jonesy! " Armin argues, his baby blue eyes shining vibrantly.

"Bullshit! " I grin, shoving the blond boy with a laugh as Eren's song builds in momentum and meaning.

"Such a sad song. " Marco muses.

"God, Armeen, don't be such a baby!" Reiner sneers.

Armin rubs the back of his neck and the room goes silent.

"You're here, there's NOTHING I FEAR and I KNOW~ that my heart will go ON~, we'll stay FOREVER this WAY~ You are safe in my heart and my heart will go on~!"

"Bloody hell, you should go on the X-Factor or something. " the hostess says, having reopened the door, little notebook on hand.

"That's what I told him last year!" Marco complains.

"A bottle of blood orange Bulmers each and then cans of soda for the kiddie winks." Alice chimes, handing the hostess some money. She nods.

"Jonesy's turn!" Annie shoves me onto the stage.

"Um...Oh my god. I think I'm going to die! ..." I blush violently.

"Do you know what you want to sing, Jonesy? " Mikasa asks.

"Um...I know one that I can sing that sounds kinda okay... Mind if I sing acapella instead? "

"Nope, no problem there!" Mikasa shrugs. The room is pretty much silent.

My heart is beating out of my chest. Why did Annie make me be Eren's follow up act? That's unfair!

I take a deep breath "I can hold my breath." my voice is uneven and shaky. I sigh and try again.

"I can hold my breath. I can bite my tongue. I can stay awake for days if that's what you want. And be your number one. I can fake a smile, I can force a laugh. I can dance and play the part if that's what you ask. Give you all I am, I can do it. I can do it. I can do it...but I'm only human..."

~(^v^)~ Time Skip ~(^v^)~

"I think that my favourite rendition of anything would have to have been Reiner, Bertholdt and Alice's drunk cover of Wrecking Ball . " Marco laughs as we walk in the twilight towards the vending machine beside the common room.

"I don't know, Mikasa's version of Roar was my favourite. " Jean says.

"Well nobody was going to like your cover, horse face, you got the lyrics to Sad Song wrong! 'Without you, I feel broke, like I'm half of a whole'. Not 'Without you I feel broke, like I'm on the path of the mole'. Like what the fuck, Jean?" Eren jeers, more than amused at Jean's pitfall.

"What the hell man, what the actual hell?" my twin of name pipes up.

"You said it Connie!" Sasha beams.

"Fuck you Jeager!" Jean snaps.

"Honestly, I kind of liked Jonesy's song. You have a voice that is kind of like Hayley Williams' you know? "

"No way!" my jaw drops.

"You honestly do. You would sound amazing as a backup singer on my album!" Annie teases.

"Your voices would work amazingly together. " Armin pipes up. "Jonesy has a strong fruity singing voice while Annie's is strong yet breathy and pretty soothing. "

"That's actually really sweet, Armin." Annie muses.

"Oh god." a new voice chimes. "Is the mini He Man off his meds?" Meds? Armin's on medication? But he said he was here for awkwardness? But then Annie implied that he was lying. What's going on with Armin?

"Fuck off Farlan."

"He's off his meds. You can tell, his eye's twitching. " Farlan speaks up.

"Why does my medical status matter to you?" Armin demands.

"Armin...?" Eren murmurs.

"Don't touch me! " the blond commands.

"Alice, get Marco out of here." Mikasa commands. I look around and see that everybody, even Annie, has gone. I get thst Marco is unwell but is he that sick that he's had that many escorts?

"I would move away from Armin, Connie. " Farlan says.

I blink several times and shift my glance from Mr Half-Sleeve Snake Bites to Armin.

"He looks like he's going to..." Eren murmurs

"Jonesy, please go, he wouldn't want to see him like-."

"No, Connie, stay here, you should know his true colours. He's interested in you, after all." Farlan smirks.

He's, Armin's what?

"Armin... "

"This is sick! "

"No, Jeager, what's sick is playing cupid and not letting Connie see the true self of the guy she would probably end up banging. "

"Excuse me, what?" I make my way towards Farlan, back to Armin.

A dark laugh errupts from behind me. I turn, the evening breeze making my hair billow as I turn to face the source.

"FOOL! I shall drown you in the maelstrom of my nightmares. My tentacles will twist and contort your throat as I throttle you with visions of hemaphroditic succubi and violent oedipal rape fantasies!!! I will take your cities, I with subjugate your children. I will rape and devour your armies! But you, only you will survive, so you can bare testament to my will and ultimate revengance! "

My eyes are wide and my heart is racing.

"Armin!" Eren shouts.

"Armin! Armin, please!" Mikasa presses.

Both of Armin's closest friends are up in his face, calling his name, as if they're trying to reach him. Yet I'm too stunned to move a muscle. He just...He just completely changed. Armin...Armin's capable of provoking visions of hemaphroditic succubi? I shudder. That didn't even sound human, let alone sound like anything Armin would say.

"Armin." my voice is barely that above a whisper in volume, yet the mild wind seems to have carried it to the blond's ear. He violently shakes his head and bolts towards the trees.

"Armin!" I call after him.

"Jonesy... "

"ARMIN! " I shake off Eren's grip and run after the blond who just snapped in front of me.


	12. Acknowledgement

 

I run to Armin, placing my bet on the blond having gone to the lake. It's getting darker by the second and I'm really disturbed. How...? How could that... that monstrosity be Armin. Armin is my friend. I trusted him. I still trust him, don't I?

 

Armin is my friend! I should hear him ou-

 

 

_"FOOL! I shall drown you in the maelstrom of my nightmares. My tentacles will twist and contort your throat as I throttle you with visions of hermaphroditic succubi and violent oedipal rape fantasies!!! I will take your cities, I with subjugate your children. I will rape and devour your armies! But you, only you will survive, so you can bare testament to my will and ultimate repentance! "_

 

 

What is there to hear? What excuse could he have for lying to me? So much for awkwardness being why he was subjected to this camp. It has to be for that. That part of himself that he's been taking medication in order to suppress.

 

I'm still rushing through the trees. It's far beyond lights out now! I should have taken the footpath. At least I wouldn't be lost!

 

"CONNIE!" Annie?

 

A sudden weight has slammed me from the side. Ow! What the hell was that? I rub my head, now laying in the grass.

 

"Annie...?" I murmur, my vision a tad hazy. "Annie, what the fuck...?"

 

"Connie! What happened? You look like you've been to Hell and back." Annie crawls near to me, her stance is similar to someone straddling an animal. She's wary and cautious as she snaps her fingers in front of my face in order to focus my attention on her and stop my eyes from wandering to try and find that god forsaken lake.

 

"Armin...Armin got mad."

 

 

_"FOOL! I shall drown you in the maelstrom of my nightmares. My tentacles will twist and contort your throat as I throttle you with visions of hermaphroditic succubi and violent oedipal rape fantasies!!! I will take your cities, I with subjugate your children. I will rape and devour your armies! But you, only you will survive, so you can bare testament to my will and ultimate repentance!"_

 

 

Armin's words are ringing in my head like an intense repetitive verse. Is there a parrot in my head? Why are his words embedded into my skull? Into my brain?

 

Annie's brows are up, her expression some kind of hybrid between confusion and amusement.

 

"Okay, I think something snapped in his head."

 

"Eren's going to kill Farlan Church!" Annie murmurs.

 

"Wait, what?" I tilt my head in confusion.

 

"Eren told him that Armin is fragile and that ignorant hot bastard ignored him!" Annie makes a fist. "Armin's going to be really fragile right now."

 

"Do you know if he's at the lake?"

 

"You're good at this, Jonesy. Now go to the lake, it's straight ahead. Do whatever you have to do to bring Armin back."

 

"Annie you-."

 

"I know that I lied. I'm sorry for not telling you, Jonesy, but Armin didn't want me to tell you. He had a lot of breakdowns back when he first started here. I remember how Eren and Mikasa would laugh it off before he was prescribed stronger anti-psychotics. They work wonders, this is the first true indicator that Armin's got something wrong with him."

 

"Has he ever been worse?"

 

"I think that he threatened to use the dolls in the kids' playroom for some sort of voodoo shit."

 

"Oh my god." I stifle a laugh. That just doesn't sound like Armin!

 

"The lake is straight ahead. Move your ass, Jonesy, you help Armin, and I'll help prevent a murder." Annie nods to me with the smallest hopeful smile. I nod my head and rise from the ground, staggering a bit thanks to head rush.

 

I take a deep breath and start running, heart in my throat. Armin. Armin, who are you?

 

 

_"FOOL! I shall drown you in the maelstrom of my nightmares. My tentacles will twist and contort your throat as I throttle you with visions of hermaphroditic succubi and violent oedipal rape fantasies!!! I will take your cities, I with subjugate your children. I will rape and devour your armies! But you, only you will survive, so you can bare testament to my will and ultimate repentance! "_

 

 

Oh Armin...

 

I make my way through the brush and the maze of trees and spot a figure clutching their knees by the lake.

This has to be Armin.

 

"Armin?" I ask meekly, making my presence known to the blond.

 

"Connie?" He looks broken, dejected, helpless.

 

 

_"FOOL! I shall drown you in the maelstrom of my nightmares."_

 

 

"I'm here, can we talk?"

 

"Yeah...Connie, please sit with me."

 

"Okay." I smile at him, it's forced and I'm sure he knows that.

 

"I'm sorry." The cherubic looking blond sighs, laying back on the grass. If I wasn't so afraid of him, I would ask why he's apologising.

 

"I know." I nod, pulling my knees to my chin.

 

"Connie...I didn't mean to...I didn't mean what I said... "

 

"Armin, why are you on medication? " I ask.

 

_"My tentacles will twist and contort your throat as I throttle you with visions of hermaphroditic succubi and violent oedipal rape fantasies!!!"_

 

"Connie plea-"

 

"If you won't tell me, I'm going to find Farlan. " I ready myself to stand.

 

_" I will take your cities, I with subjugate your children. I will rape and devour your armies!"_

 

"I've got some kind of split personality thing going on." Armin cannot meet my eyes. He's simply looking away from me.

 

"Oh shit..." I gasp.

 

"My doctor thought I was schizophrenic first. He thought that Mr Whiskers was just a voice in my head because there was too much shit in my head. Turns out that I have other personalities that my brain has been suppressing. " Armin admits.

 

"That's beyond shit...Armin..." I reach out to him but stop myself.

 

"My twisted self came out when Farlan provoked me. It never comes out. I'm sorry you had to see me like that." The blond says as beams of light begin to dance by the lake.

 

"Fireflies... " I muse, amazed. "Sorry."

 

"I have a question for you, Jonesy. " Armin states. "Can we start over? "

 

"I...I guess so..." A small smile crosses my lips.

 

"Hi. I'm Armin and I have multiple personalities. "

 

"Hi, I'm Jonesy, my parents blame me for the death of my aunt. But that's just their way of grieving... It's nice to meet you, Armin."

 

"I love your name, Connie, it's really pretty. Can I call you Connie instead? " Why are my cheeks on fire?

 

"If you want to..." I rub my arm awkwardly.

 

"Thank you, Connie. " Armin says, his blue eyes shining vibrantly; enhanced by the illuminated lake, thanks to the fireflies.

 

"Maybe we'll be close again one day." I muse

 

"I don't want to be distant... "

 

"Nor do I." I shrug with a sigh. "But I don't like being lied to."

 

"I'm sorry. "

 

"I know. "


	13. Party Prep

"Basically, yeah. There's a big party at the nightclub in town and it's an under twenty one night. Ackerman knows how we can sneak out and has already booked a minibus cab for Marco's sake, to get us to and fro. Who's in?" Eren asks as we lounge around by the lake, making the most of the beautiful scenery. 

 

Time passes so quickly here. Our whole camp experience will end with tomorrow's goodbyes. That's going to be really hard. I'm really not that excited. I guess that this would be a great way to have fun on our last day.

 

"I am." I smile, realising I am the first person to agree. Mikasa nods and Armin simply sighs.

 

"Only three of you? Marco's already agreed to go. This is going to be boring! "

 

"Maybe we should try finding Reiner, Bertholdt and Jean? " I speak up. "There aren't many of us here."

 

"Oh..." Eren looks around and hangs his head, the tips of his ears are burning.

 

"C'mon, Eren." Mikasa encourages.

 

"Hey, Jonesy, can you go to Annie's dorm and tell her about this?" Armin asks. I nod, standing up and brushing myself down. I'm just glad that I know the way to Annie's dorm. I mainly hang out in my own or in Eren's after all, since for almost the whole summer, our main location was the lake or the common room, bit usually the lake.

 

"I git my ticket for the long way 'round, two bottle a whisky for the way, and I sure would like some sweet company, 'cause I'm leaving in the morning what do ya say?" I glare at Mina, one of Annie's roommates. She's been playing that infernal cup song all summer!

 

"Annie!" I knock on the door.

 

The blond who opens the door is not Annie, it's Krista. Ymir, that other girl that Marco mentioned is packing her suitcase.

 

"Hey, Annie?" I poke my head into the room. She jumps down from top bunk.

 

"What? " she asks.

 

"Eren's scheming and it vaguely involves a nightclub and Reibert." Yes, way to go, Connie, just be as uninformative as you can.

 

"I'm in. There's a crappy disco on the grounds, so I have something to wear."

 

"Yeah, I read about the disco in the brochure. I've got some stuff to wear, when you're ready, go to Eren's...or Marco's! No wait- not Marco's because his parents are there, go to the bonus dorm if nobody is in Eren's room because Reiner, Bertholdt and Jean are in that room." I start to rattle on like no-one's business.

 

"Just go and get ready, Jonesy. " Annie shoves me lightly and slams the door, probably to indicate that I won't be being let back in.

 

I take the hint and take my leave, making my way up towards the steep hill for my dorm, Connie has already vacated the premises.

 

"Sasha~ Can I come in?" I ask.

 

"You can, yeah, but leave your twin of name outside! "

 

"You heard her." I shoot a glance at Connie, he sighs, turning away.

 

I walk into the dorm room, Sasha's hiding, only in a tank top and cycling shorts. I envy the fact that she can look pretty in cycling shorts and a tank top. She's so lucky!

 

"Jonesy! I'm so glad that you're here! I need help choosing between the dresses I bought when we all went shopping."

 

"Oh god! That's like choosing a favourite child!" I gasp, staring at the three dresses which are strewn out on the single bed.

 

"What do I do?" Sasha complains quietly. "I don't know where Connie and I are... we're just...somewhere! Hell, you and Armin are more aware of where you stand than me and Connie!"

 

"Well, you sort of went on a date at the amusement park. I think you're close to a relationship. But don't listen to me, because I pushed Armin away."

 

"You had a fair reason to push Armin away, and it's not like it's stopped him. You two spend a lot of time together. When you're not with Annie."

 

"I'm sorry!" I gasp. "Have I been excluding you! Sasha, you should have told me! I would have been more inclusive!"

 

"No! Don't be silly Jonesy! I'm so happy Annie has a friend! Mina's annoying as hell and has a huge group of friends here and Ymir and Krista are close. Hell! Next year we can get a second bunk bed put in here so Annie can room with us!" My eyes widen in shock. I thought that Annie wasn't well liked. Maybe I was wrong.

 

"Let's get down to business." I clap my hands together. "What impression do you want to give off?"

 

"That I want to be...his..."

 

"Sasha you potato." I jab her. "He knows that. Go with the one he liked the most."

 

"He likes this one!" She holds up a florescent orange, coral, melon, whatever skater dress with a halter neck.

 

"It looked really cute on you!" I nod. "Connie has good taste."

 

"It must come with the name, you have a really good eye for clothing." Sasha grins, pulling out the clothes that I bought from our trip into town.

 

"Hmm..." Sasha surveys the clothes as a fist pounds against the door.

 

"Jonesy! Sasha! Let me in!" It's Annie! Sasha heads into the bathroom to pull the dress on while I let Annie in.

 

"Oh!" I gasp, checking out her clothes.

 

"Unexpected, right?" A faint pink tint is clear on her cheeks.

 

"JESUS! ANNIE! YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE YOU!" Sasha exclaims.

 

"Thanks."

 

"Way to compliment, Sasha." I roll my eyes.

 

"I'm sorry, I just don't associate you with well..."

 

"Pink?"

 

"That! Yes! Pink!"

 

"You look great, Annie." I smile. The nude pink floaty dress is combined with black heeled boots and a crop leather jacket. She's already got a clutch bag and make up on.

 

"I was in the process of getting ready for the shitty camp disco. Don't worry, I'm never this fast." Annie states, firmly.

 

"You do look great." Sasha states.

 

"You don't look so bad yourself. Put your hair down and you're pretty much set."

 

"I need make up though, and shoes!"

 

"Right, sorry."

 

"But more importantly, Jonesy needs an outfit." Sasha declares. "One that will boost her assets and make her play on Armin's mind all year!"

 

"And Mr Half -Sleeve Snake Bites' mind." Annie adds, small smile forming on her lips.

 

"One, I have no assets! Two! Why should I need to play on Armin's mind, and more importantly, Farlan's."

 

"You still don't get it?" Annie snorts. "Farlan's interested in you~"

 

"And Armin's jealous." Sasha adds with a giggle.

 

"So...oh god! Jesus, I treated Armin like shit!" I groan.

 

"Then tailor your choice to him?" Sasha prompts.

 

"No." Annie waves Sasha off. "Cater to what you're comfortable in because if a guy doesn't like you in what you're comfortable in, then he can go fuck himself."

 

"You make a good point."

 

"Hmm... I guess I would be comfy in any of the dresses. Help me pick one?"

 

"I like the navy with the white piping. Match that with my white lacy gloves and some white shoes and you'll look stunning, Jonesy!"

 

"Thank you." I blush, bolting into the bathroom to get dressed.

 

We don't take too much longer to get ready. Fifteen minutes of squishing in front of a mirror, doing make up and hair.

 

We head down to meet everybody. They're all lurking by the common room. Everyone has dressed up to show off a traitor there's, I'm glad that Sasha and Annie convinced me to wear the dress and not something else. Reiner's showing off his arm muscles, in a white tank top and army pants, which just happen to match Bertholdt's. The taller of the two is showing off his height in a slim fit black T-shirt to go with his camouflage pants. Mikasa looks stunning In a charcoal studded dress and studded combat boots. Beside her are Armin and Eren. This group really doesn't seem to gel as far as subcultures are concerned. Eren's wearing a black and white striped shirt with a green hoodie and a pair of jeans. Is that a fedora or a trilby? Whatever! Armin's in a white T-shirt, skinny jeans and a jacket. Why aren't the guys dressed up? Oh wait! No, Jean's dressed in showy clothes like the girls; a dress shirt and skinny jeans with a fashion tie. He's loosened up a lot this summer. I hope he decides to come back next year, he's spent the whole time denying any offers and arrangements for next year. Marco and to Annie's dismay, Alice Bodt are ready and raring to go.

 

My eyes widen in a mix of amazement and horror over the outfits being worn by Ackerman and his cult. This is creepy. They are all wearing red and black. All of them. Levi's in a red dress shirt, a leather jacket and black skinny jeans. Farlan is wearing the same thing, minus the jacket, except he's exposing his tattooed arms. Hange too is wearing the same shade of red on a dress shirt, accompanied by black skinny jeans. His sister, Zoey is adorning a tight fit, slinky red dress with a black shawl and heavy dark make up. She looks very beautiful. Isabelle has a red skater dress on, with a silver bird hairpin with rhinestones. Then there's Alice, in a halter neck, red maxi-dress with a slit to just above the knee on one side. They do look like some sort of gang or cult or something.

 

"Okay, There are too many of us, so the taxi will be doing laps to get us there. Marco, Alice you two will be travelling second, they have to come back if you're not there."

 

"You pulled the cancer card didn't you?" the frail freckled boy sighs, brows raised.

 

"Actually, I booked it and pulled the cancer card." Isabelle raises her hand guiltily.


	14. Ain't It Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where the original story ends, sadly! TnT  
> I hope you all enjoyed the story! I will be uploading the prequel soon enough, along with the side stories which Jonesy is NOT present in! ^^

"Actually, I booked it and pulled the cancer card." Isabelle raises her hand guiltily.

 

Marco rolls his eyes before smiling brightly at Isabelle.

 

"Who is riding with us?" Alice chimes as we walk down the footpath to the car park, which is where we'll be leaving from. Reiner and Bertholdt immediately step up.

 

I think Annie is ready to slice Alice in half; about two weeks, Alice and the rest of Marco's immediate family have been by his side all of the time, they moved into the camp and made Marco's original roommates move away. It was beyond awkward when I went there looking for Reiner and Marco's dad answered the door and started to interrogate me, letting me know that Marco's heart isn't to be toyed with. I was uncomfortable as hell, but at least Marco and Alice found it funny, I guess...

 

Jean steps forward too. And Annie takes my arm and pulls me forward. Who knows what kind of carnage the seating arrangements will be, but I doubt it will matter since all it's going to be is selfie taking.

 

"Jonesy!" Annie calls, I look up and pull a funny face; Levi's taking a selfie and Annie and I are in the background of it. It never struck me as something Levi would do but I guess I shouldn't make assumptions about people.

 

"Let's take a selfie, Annie!" I put my arm around my blonde friend. She frowns at the initial conflict but as she stops being tense, Annie smiles. I take a selfie and go into the gallery and grimace as I flick through the gallery. You leave your phone in the common room to go to the bathroom, you're gone for five minutes and your phone is unknowingly blown up by selfies. Mainly Marco's selfies, seeing them makes me smile.

 

"The cab's here!" Isabelle twirls and races the other people in her gang to the chain link fence that can only be unlocked from the outside.

 

"Eren swiped the spare key when we went into town and got a key cut. He'll chuck it in the lake tomorrow." Mikasa says. Eren, stood behind her shakes his head. Why would you discard of the key out of here. I'm sure that Ackerman has a few keys cut.

 

"C'mon guys!" Farlan gestures for us all to follow him off of the grounds.

 

"Hey Eren. Who won that prank war this year?" Levi smirks.

 

"Fuck!" Eren groans. I watch Marco's body language shift.

 

"Hey, Annie, Jonesy, can you guys swap out for Eren and Armin? Jean, could you for Connie?"

 

"What are you planning?" Annie enquires.

 

"To go out with a ba," Marco grabs onto a tree trunk.

 

Alice begins to run, away from the nearby park and toward the common room. Jean lifts Marco's arm and wraps it around him to provide the boy with a freckled face with some much needed support.

 

"We'll do the switch." Annie nods, nudging me. "You're in flats, run!"

 

"Right!" I nod. "Will you be okay, Marco?"

 

"I'll be fine!" he laughs. " I just got a bit lightheaded."

 

"Okay..." I trail off, not wanting to argue. I'm pretty fast, so I get to the the taxi right before Eren and his friends get on.

 

"Change. Of. Plan." I pant dramatically to emphasise the 'urgency'. "You." I point at Eren. "And Connie, and Armin are going with Marco."

 

"Fuck yes!"

 

"Thank fuck!"

 

"Praise the speckled lord himself! Oh wit! I can!" The three guys turn tail and run back into the trees. Annie comes skittering down the bank and to the taxi, we board as if nothing happened and wave, getting to go to the part early will be awesome.

 

Like I had assumes, the bus ride was all simply selfie taking. Annie and I were conveniently sat behind Sasha and Farlan, so whn Sasha took solo selfies, Annie and I could poke our heads over the seats and photobomb. The club was a mere ten minute car ride to get to and it's already in full swing when we arrive. It's really daunting to get out of the car with Ackerman and his cult. The people there part like the red sea as Levi moves in and opts to select a booth. He's so scary that once he eyed up the booth he wanted, the people in it actually vacated. The group of teens in red and black walk through this nightclub like they own it. They'll be partying at their own pace. I bet they've all got booze in their bags to make cocktails out of coca cola.

 

Sasha pulls me onto the dance floor.

 

"We WILL enchant those boys, Jonesy!"

 

"Annie, C'mon!"

 

"Um..." The blonde looks frantic, but groans upon spotting Mikasa doing a cheesy dance with Jean Kiristein. Is this another way that Eren's trying to convince his rival to return to Camp Kyojin, because he looks enchanted by her, captivated by her.

 

"Come on! Let's get you a guy!"

 

"You mean, like Bertholdt?" Mikasa asks in passing as Jean twirls her.

 

"NO! NOT BETHOLDT!" Annie's cheeks burn.

 

"Oh my god! I love this song!" Sasha begins to bounce as 'Good Time' plays. "OH MY GOD! LOOK OVER THERE!" Sasha grabs Annie and I by the arms and drags us up to a glass balcony that overlooks the town. The lights from houses, streetlights and cars are amazing.

 

"Hey Jonesy, do you know if you're coming back next year?" Annie asks.

 

"If I'm allowed to choose, there's no way...THAT I WOULD REFUSE!" I pump my fist. Annie makes an unintelligible squeaking sound, hugging me tightly. Sasha joins the hug. 

 

"Next year, we should all room together!" Sasha declares.

 

"Sounds great! We'll need a fourth girl but at least then you'll be able to get away from Mina, eh Annie." Sasha jabs the blonde with her elbow.

 

"That is the second best thing I've heard all night!" Annie engulfs us in a hug.

 

"Let's take some selfies!" the brunette produces her phone, standing on her tiptoes and takes a few pictures while we pose and laugh.

 

"I think I hear them!" Sasha freezes before running down the stairs to greet Connie.

 

"We should probably go..." I prompt as my 'twin of name' leads Sasha back up.

 

Annie nods her head and makes her way down to the dance floor. Alice Bodt is, to Annie's relief and surprise, nowhere near Reiner and Bertholdt, who are sat by the bar talking happily.

 

"I hate giving up my binoculars! It makes everything subjective!" Annie complains. That comment sends me over the edge and I burst into fits of laughter.

 

"There you are, Connie!" Armin exclaims, his baby blue eyes twinkling.

 

"Hey Armin!" I smile. "You going to dance with us?"

 

"I don't see why not, Eren!" Armin beckons the green eyed brunet over to join him on the dance floor. The boy in the trilby- or is it a fedora, whatever, the guy in the hat joins us and we dance simplistically, chatting idly.

 

"You're planning something." I note, looking into Armin's eyes. "You guys are planning a sneak ditch attempt to get the tacky tiara, aren't you?"

 

"What did Marco do? Why did he want us to switch with you?"

 

"Simple he's suggested that we-!" Armin covers Eren's mouth.

 

"Take a lesson from Freckled Satan."

 

"Freckled...Satan?" I knew that Marco was Freckled Jesus due to his kind nature, but who on earth would be Freckled Satan.

 

"Oh right, you never really spoke with Ymir. She's not an honest character, let's get that straight." Annie declares.

 

"Oh?" I cock a brow.

 

"Yeah, I honestly doubt you'll get along. I guess that's why you two never spoke." Eren muses as the song changes.

 

"I DON'T MIND! LETTING YOU DOWN EASY! BUT JUST GIVE IT TIME!" I bounce up and down, singing along, as I hear my favourite song blare through the speakers.

 

"Oh god, she's off again." Annie laughs.

 

"C'mon guys! Selfie!" Eren demands, lifting his camera up and winking while we all mile for the picture.

 

"We're a tad selfie obsessed." I note 

 

"Our Facebook accounts will blow up as soon as Alice Bodt gets to a WiFi hotspot." Armin groans.

 

"I'm going to get a drink. C'mon, Annie." Eren takes Annie's arm and steers her to the bar. They hop onto stools.

 

"Connie, I'm going to miss you~"

 

"Armin? Armin are you okay?" I rest my hands on his shoulders. "Are you drunk?"

 

"I am okay. I'm not drunk! I'm just really going to miss you, you don't know who you are to me."

 

"No." I agree. "I don't know."

 

"You're the apple to my pie."

 

"Wait, what?" I raise a brow.

 

"You're the straw to my berry." At that point, I come to the conclusion that Armin is drunk and I should disregard that nonsense.

 

All normal thought irradiate, however, when a song we've all learned to give a new meaning drums out of the speakers."

 

I don't know why it happened, but Levi Ackerman and his cult joined us on the dance floor for that one song, joining hands. It didn't take long for every member of our party to appear and take another's hand.

 

"One day, my father he told me son don't let it slip \away. He held me in his arms, I heard him say. When you get older your wild heart, you'll live for younger days, think of me if ever you're afraid..." tears are dribbling down many of the faces in our circle as other partygoers stare.

 

"He said one day you'll leave this world behind, so live a life you will remember! My father told me when I was just a child; these are the nights that never die, my father told me..."

 

After the first chorus, nobody can make words escape their mouths, we all just stand together, crying, hands locked. Marco, sat in a wheelchair, his usual perch, is smiling through tears, holding hands with Alice and Isabelle. People seem to be trying to piece it together, Marco's the only one who looks unwell. I sigh sadly, letting my tears drip onto the dance floor.

 

We have to live for tonight.

 

~(^v^)~ Time Skip ~(^v^)~

 

The suitcases and bags are all piled up outside and the councillors are loading them onto the busses, Breakfast is beyond morose, lots of tears are being shed. Some are taking their potentially last selfies ever with those around them The younger kids will get over leaving camp. It's not about being around people like them yet. For us, leaving people who you can truly relate to will be hard.

 

It really annoys me; Levi Ackerman and his cult all live near to one another, so they don't need to worry about the loneliness, same with Armin and Annie. They both have their friends close by. Sasha and my 'twin of name' live in the same county. Everything is stacked up to say they'll be meeting up, but not me. Nobody I know lives anywhere near to me.

 

"C'mon, Jonesy!" my roommates drag me out of my seat and out to the grassy bank, where Levi Ackerman is going to be crowned the winner of the prank war, once again.

 

The person presenting the award is Mina, Annie's roommate. Maybe because she's popular. It's really rushed and frantic. Which doesn't seem, normal. None of the teens in the crows look at ease by the pace of this ceremony.

 

"THE WINNER OF THIS YEAR'S PRANK WAR IS LEVI ACKERMAN!" We were just in time. As Levi ascends the steep bank, he trips over and laughter rings out as he is then hung upside down; he got his foot caught in a cheesy booby trap? Was that the prank.

 

"Um...seems that the winner isn't Levi Ackerman then." Mina muses, scowering the crowd for the teen who pulled a stunt like that. Eren is clearly identifiable as said teen, for everybody is high-fiving him for defeating Ackerman. The dark haired teenager glares at the younger boy.

 

"THANK YOU FRECKLED JESUS!"

 

"Oh my God Eren, you're so fucking cool holy shiettt!" Connie exclaims as applause rings out.

 

"Time to say your last goodbyes!" Petra says sadly.

 

I spot a queue forming outside Marco's cabin...He wasn't at breakfast, I haven't seen him since we got in the first taxi home...oh God...oh my God...


End file.
